Toki Ni Ai REMASTERED
by Brigadier-Erin-Lightning
Summary: It all begins in a prison cell, where Ed finds someone who was once the Taisa...but has Roy Mustang finally lost it? And to what lengths will the two go to make everything right again? Spoiler Warning!
1. Chapter 1

**Toki Ni Ai  
The Remastered Edition**

_A fanfiction by Erin Lightning_

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Prisoner of War. The phrase had never meant anything to him before, but now, at this crucial moment, it meant everything. Edward Elric did not know exactly what he would find behind those iron-clad doors that seperated him from the dungeon cell before him. What he did know was that this cell supposedly contained a person that Ed admitted meant a lot to him. This cell contained Taisa Roy Mustang. And Ed was not about to leave without him.

What he did find, as he opened the rusted door and peered into the blackened, soot-filled room, was not what he expected. In fact, he wouldn't have suspected this turn of events in a hundred years. "Taisa!" he cried, rushing in, and practically throwing himself down beside Mustang. "Taisa, Taisa, wake up!" He grabbed Roy's shoulders and forcibly shook him.

Roy was chained to the wall by his bare hands, the chains biting deep into his skin, Ed could tell, from the deep crimson red blood that showed from beneath them. His head hung forward, limp. His uniform was tattered and torn, making his gaunt, pale, thin body quite visable, even in the dim light. He was covered in cuts and scratches, and a bullet wound still bled on his right shoulder, fresh, though it was apparant that the Colonel had been here for quite some time. Dust and dirt, fear and famine had ravaged his once gorgeous face, and a five o'clock shadow clung to the outline of his visage, making him appear oh so ghastly.

Edward shook him harder, trying not to touch the bullet wound, not to hurt Roy more. If he was still alive, that is. "Please, Roy, please wake up.." he said, then his voice rose, a little angrier. "C'mon, Colonel, you said you weren't going to go before me, so WAKE UP! DAMMIT!"

Roy coughed, a mixture of blood and dust dripping from his mouth. He didn't look up, didn't speak for some time. But Ed could tell that Roy knew he was there. He knew somehow that the Colonel understood, that some part of that ingenious mind had shuddered to a start once more.

"Hang in there, I'll get you out in a second.." Ed said, slapping his hands together and pressing them against the chain holding Roy's right hand. The chain dissolved at one spot, breaking it in twom and it fell to the ground followed by Roy's limp limb to no effect on him whatsoever. This motion was repeated with Roy's other hand.

The Colonel, as if his arms weighted his body down too much now, started to tip forward. Ed reached out, wrapping his arms around Mustang's shoulders to steady him, whispering, "What the hell happened to you?"

Roy's eyes, opened now, focused on the soot-covered ground beneath him. It was a good thing Ed was unable to see the look in those eyes, those eyes that were like deep, tortured obsidian pools and that showed absolutely no sign of life, because it would have scared him to death. It was as if the energy had been sucked from the Taisa, and all that remained now was an empty shell of a man who would have been great.

A minute passed. Two. Finally, without looking up, Taisa Roy Mustang whispered one word,one little word that would mark the start of the biggest, most dangerous journey that Edward would ever embark on in his adventurous life, even if the boy didn't know this at the time:

"Riza.."

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**_To Be Continued  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Toki Ni Ai  
The Remastered Edition  
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****_A fanfiction by Erin Lightning_ **

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**_Chapter II_**

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Edward didn't know what to do now. He had run out of options, and time, and the Taisa only seemed to be getting worse.

You see, when he had dragged Roy's beaten, bloodied body from the cell, he had no idea what he was doing. Perhaps a hospital would have been helpful, but it was impossible to opt for that option. Things were a bit hectic now, and, aside from that, Roy Mustang was probably one of the most recognizable figures in the State Military. And he was a fugitive for the time being, at least as far as Edward knew.

Simply put, if Roy Mustang were to show up at a hospital all of a sudden, it was doubtless the State would know, and then he'd end up back where Ed found him. Or worse. So, the only option left was to take Roy Mustang to Ed's current residence - a tiny little, ramshackle second-floor apartment near the outskirts of Central, facing the East.

It would have helped had the chibi alchemist known anything about first aid, but, then again, usually Ed only needed a few bandages and some screws and he was back on his feet. With Mustang, Ed could tell that it would take a hell of a lot more, if not a complete miracle. 'How the hell do you remove a bullet?' wondered Edward, dismayed.

Now, he sat at Taisa's side, having gotten the man wrapped up almost to the point of being a mummy and tucked away in bed. And he had one thought playing over and over in his head: "This is not good." Taisa hadn't woken in three days. And he hadn't accepted food either. To make things worse, he had suddenly broken out in a violent fever and Ed was afraid that if he left the Colonel's side for even a minute, Mustang would lapse into a fit of convulsions and cries, just as he had the night before.

Ed shivered. He remembered last night well, though it was one of those things he wished he'd forget. This wasn't the way things were supposed to be. Amestris wasn't supposed to be in heated war, and Roy Mustang, Hero of Ishvar and soon-to-be Fuhrer, wasn't supposed to be bedridden, unable to even give Ed a clue as to what was going on.

More so, Roy Mustang was not supposed to fall into a fit of pained cries, and a vicious stroke of struggling, thrashing about uncontrollably, whenever Ed went to go try and make some food for either of them. So, when he did the night before, Ed knew one thing.

This was getting serious.

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Now Fullmetal found himself cradling a small bowl of warm water, dipping a cloth in it, laying this cloth on Roy's forehead with care. There was no reaction, save one sharp intake of breath from the Colonel, and even that seemed half-hearted. And it was this simple response that brought the tears to Ed's eyes. Because now, with Roy Mustang laying before him, Ed was painfully reminded of all that he had lost: his mother most definitely the heaviest memory on his mind. Because that's what Ed was afraid of. And that was what he knew was happening. He was losing Roy Mustang almost exactly as he lost his mother.

He turned away, his head falling defeatedly, childishly, against his chest, his hands covering his eyes as he tried to suppress tears, memories that wouldn't ever fade. His voice came, ragged, as he proceeded to do this. "R.. Roy, you're not sick...you...you won't die...please..." His hands clenched air, balling tight into fists now as he slammed one against his leg, his voice rising sharply as he finished, "Goddammit, Colonel, if you die now what the hell do you think you'll have accomplished? Don't...Don't you dare leave me!"

Now his gaze was torn away, fixed upon the sleeping body before him, one hand clutching his pant leg in a silent fury, his other hand held mid-air, as if he was unsure what to do with it. His breathing came quickly, angered, and he waited for himself to relax before making any sure moves.

When he had calmed enough, he reached up and lay a gentle hand on the satiny cloth he had placed on Roy's forehead. He let a few more tears slide down his face before he lay his head against the sleeping figures' chest in defeat. There had to be some way.

"What's...wrong with you, Mustang?" Ed asked to no one in particular, knowing the man would not, could not answer him. It wasn't in means of what was wrong with Roy's physical condition. Ed knew that already: two broken ribs (he could tell from the way that Taisa slumped over when he had first been rescued), a deep bullet wound on his shoulder that hardly ever stopped bleeding, and very, very many deep cuts and slashes. Also, it seemed a fight had taken place: Roy's knuckles were raw and bloodied, and his hands themselves were no better off - a tell-tale sign of resistance.

What Ed wanted to know was what was wrong with Roy's mind and heart.

"Why...won't you answer me, Taisa?" he whispered, letting his eyes close as he lay there.

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A cardinal sang from outside in the bottle-brush tree that burned bright red in fall fashion. Roy could swear he heard that cardinal. He could swear it. And the tree - he could see the waves of its crimson branches in the cool twilight sky, intermingled with the softest goldenrod, a familiar gold hue, could see that familiar color, almost as if seeing it in a dream.

"Riza.." he muttered in the smallest voice, so soft that it would be a miracle for the FullMetal to have heard it.

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**_To Be Continued..._**


	3. So The Story Begins

**Toki Ni Ai  
The Remastered Edition**

**_A fanfiction by Erin Lightning_**

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**_Chapter III: So the Story Begins _**

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It was night now, and the deep black of midnight fell down like a blanket over the world, and over the apartment in which Ed was staying with the injured Taisa. Staying? Well, right now he was sleeping. His exhausting vigil of the last few days had taken the energy right out of him and he found himself sitting in a hard wooden chair, his head curled, rested atop the Taisa's bandaged chest. However, it came to be that not long after midnight had come, Ed found himself waking to a soft, yet startling movement from below him.

"Ri...za?" Roy's lips scarce moved as he whispered the word, his body shuddering as it tried vainly to find the energy needed to speak, his chest fluttering as lightly as a butterfly's wings against Edward's cheek, yet awaking the younger man all the same.

"Mustang?" Ed said, startled, sitting up, his eyes immediately focusing on the Taisa's face through the dim light: those half-open eyes, struggling to open fully, searching the darkness around him, and that confused look, as if to say, "Where am I?" Or rather, "Why am I?"

"Ed?" he whispered. And that voice, along with those sorrow-filled eyes broke Ed's heart. Where was the Taisa that would have smirked off such injuries? The Taisa that seemed, almost, to be indestructible? How had he come to be locked within this...a body that seemed to frail to sustain itself, let alone sustain the country.

" Roy...Why?" he managed to mutter.

The answer came in a short coughing fit from the Colonel, which forced him to turn his head away, and close his eyes again.

"Don't go back to sleep on me, Mustang!" Ed said, gripping Roy by the good shoulder, genuinely frightened.

But Roy Mustang had no intention of sleeping now. He fought back the urge to release himself, to fall into an unconscious state again and, instead, he spoke in such a quiet voice that Edward had to lean over him and strain to hear the weakened words.

"The war was in full swing. I remember that it started in Lior, the last sighting place of the homunculus," Roy started. Ed had a feeling what would follow was more for the Taisa's own benefit then to divulge any useful information to him, but he also knew that he had to hear this.

"But, they had left already, and moved towards Central...where I was..." Ed stated.

Roy didn't answer this remark, instead, he continued, "The entire military was called out. But we didn't expect what we found. A town, overrun in religious citizens, no, religious fanatics - who didn't have anything to believe in anymore, martyrs with no clue what side they were fighting on, and were willing to kill everyone that came near them. And that demonic priest who stood above them all, a warlord, who would neither instruct, nor aid. Just stand there, smiling."

He paused, winced, and waited to regain his strength, before whispering, "And then, there were the chimeras."

"Chimeras?" Ed said, bolting upright quite suddenly, a little too suddenly. His movements shook the bed, causing Roy to wince with pain. "But? But!" Ed quieted slowly, his voice dropping to a whisper as he leaned in close to listen again. "I thought we saw the last of a massive chimera revolt with..."

"Professor Eiselstein..." murmured Roy.

"Yes, the Professor."

"No," Roy said, his voice remaining emotionless, this answer coming from him the second Ed's agreement had come. "Compared to what happened this time, the revolt of Eiselsteins' chimeras was nothing."

Ed's eyes widened, like a little child listening to a bedtime story. But he was not such, even though right now he wished he were. Fear remained in those bright eyes of his, and it was plain to see that he understood that these memories, Taisa's memories, were the most important thing that Roy could give him. And it was near certain that what lay behind Mustang's pain would be revealed right here.

Roy's mind wandered from his story. He saw, deep in his minds eye, a flashback of what had happened.

The chimeras had not been the ones who had done him in. Neither had normal human soldiers. No, the end of the old Roy Mustang was marked not by war, not by fighting...but by a cruel trick by a monstrous being.

He could see it there, that final image imprinted on his thoughts: A youth standing before him, dressed in teenage garb, with long, spiked green/black hair, and a smile that would be analogous to a serpent's.

And, in that youth's hand, held high like a trophy: the limp, bloodied body of Riza Hawkeye. Dead.

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**_To Be Continued...._**


	4. Chapter 4

**Toki Ni Ai  
The Remastered Edition**

**_A fanfiction by Erin Lightning_**

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**_Chapter IV _**

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It was some time before Edward heard Roy's voice again, and he couldn't help but think that the Taisa had something terrible on his mind, for the Colonel seemed now more bitter then ever before. Roy's eyes closed, but he didn't sleep. His mouth trembled, but he wouldn't speak. His shoulders shook, but he didn't cry.

"The war..." Ed whispered, softly, finally realizing that he had to be the one to pull Roy back, "Do you blame me for it?"

In a voice now changing from the complete lack of emotion heard before to be ruled entirely by this bitterness that empowered him so, Roy replied, "How can I, Fullmetal? You...and I...we both knew it wouldn't stop with you..."

Ed looked down. He felt ashamed and guilty. He couldn't shake the feeling that all of this was his fault. That everything had begun because of him. But he would go into thinking of this later. For now, he had to get Mustang to finish his story. Who knew how long Taisa's little surge of strength would last?

"Please..." Ed said, his hand searching the near-darkness for Roy's, and taking it in his own so gently that the two could have been mistaken for lovers. Roy's breath escaped him in a tiny gasp, but he couldn't look at Ed. "Please continue."

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"We were placed in units, our entire group separated amongst many, many faces. A sea of people, of military, alchemists and not, groups of us who could barely trust one another. I think that's what he wanted.."

"He?" whispered Ed.

Roy took his time in answering and his voice, hardly able to hide his fury, mumbled the name, "Fuhrer King Bradley.."

"What?" Ed said, shocked, drawing back. His golden locks fell into his face, his beautiful, cat-like eyes growing large, innocent. "But-why?"

Roy shook his head. He continued, "I was in the 6th unit. Breda, Falman, the 3rd. Kain, the 2nd. Havoc and Archer, 4th. Riza..." he hesitated, "...the 1st. Armstrong was tossed in the 5th." Again, he hesitated, but this was not mere hesitation. This was awkward silence. "I..." he said, letting the silence settle again before he barely managed to whisper, "I had no way to protect them..." Stone-faced, "....and I promised..."

Ed hung on every word now, fear contorting his boyish features. "What...what happened?"

"That wasn't a war, Ed...that wasn't even Ishval.....that...that was anarchy, chaos...that was genocide. The people...they weren't human...they...were like demons. They fought with abandon...terrorists of a sort. They had bombs, guns, cannons...how they got them, I don't know. But it was deadly. And the chimeras kept coming, bigger...fire-breathing wolves that were as large as full-grown men with manes of thick, black fur, and wings of snake scales. Huge harpies from the old lore, monsterous lions, sea-creatures in the fountain..."

Ed felt the sudden tension as Roy's hand squeezed his tight, and the Colonels' eyes closed shut, wincing, not in pain, but in memory. His body shook, but this time Ed didn't move to steady him. He let the Colonel have his silent reverie, and waited. When he felt the calmness return to the other man's body, Ed whispered, "Go on.."

Roy sighed, heavily, and it hurt him to do so. "For two days, we fought...but there was no end to them. These people would not be destroyed, would not be quieted. The chimeras had no mind to be civil. There was no rest and in the fighting, we could find no doctors. And we remained separated, all of us, our units even eventually breaking apart. People running, screaming. Chaos. You couldn't find a single man in that sea of blood and violence. I saw...so many die...but..." His voice dropped even lower still and filled with pain. "I didn't find Kain...nor Breda...and...Falman...until it was too late..."

Ed gasped, his mouth closing into a tight clench of jaw. His free fist balled. The images of the figures flashed in his mind, the three men he had known hardly and yet...and yet they had been just as kind to him as any of the military dogs he had known. Tears came to his eyes, and he looked away from Roy, who, incidentally, felt the sting of tears in his own eyes, but bit them back.

"Havoc...Armstrong..." he said, thoughtfully. "I don't know...what became of them. I have hope they lived...but.."

Ed didn't answer.

It took a while for both men to settle themselves back into the state of quiet talking. Edward had been badly upset by this news and felt the instant guilt that he had no answer for Roy Mustang as to the whereabouts of the two projected survivors. Roy himself could merely fight his instinct to break down and attempt, vainly, to go on.

Finally, the fatal question surfaced, fluttering like soft angel wings in the dark room. Ed was the one who said it and he did so cautiously. "Mustang...what...what happened to 1st Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye?"

The reaction was immediate and powerful. Roy's eyes shot open, widening in fear, in terror, tears springing to his eyes almost instantly now, and a wave of heat shooting through him that caused him to dig his fingers deep into Ed's palm, scratching the youth's hand so that blood came in tiny droplets. Ed winced at this, but didn't pull away. Instead, he reached forward with his other arm and wrapped it around Roy's wounded shoulders, drawing the Taisa close to him, for comfort. Roy fought against him, but Edward was resolute and held him, trying to calm him, until Mustang's body fell limp against him.

Roy nestled his head against Ed's shoulder, burying it there, hiding himself from the world. His voice shook as he whispered into Ed's ear exactly what happened. The sorrow in it was too deep for words. "Atop a mountain of bodies, under the blood-red sky...I came upon a monster...and this one...Ed, this one wasn't human...it wasn't chimera...it was.."

"Homunculus.." Ed said.

"The youth, the one with the long hair and that demon's face, having turned the world to chaos Ed...his victory in all this...his trophy...was..." he paused again, unable to say it.

Ed's own eyes now opened wider then previously and he tilted his head down to try and meet Roy's eyes for strength, pained, but found he could not. And slowly he felt his own tears come, hateful, sinful tears. He let out a small sob that he tried to hide, a sob that turned into a deep fit of misery in the following moments and he curled up tightly, protecticely against Mustang in turn. They sat there together, like two parts of one whole. They sat in anguish and in pain, and they were more alike then they could ever know. Such happens in tragedy.

'But...why?' Ed thought that horrid question, his mind tormenting him now in Roy's silence with images of that one woman. She...had been kind to him, so kind, just as Hughes had, and what had it gotten her? And Roy! Poor Mustang! Ed could think of no more terrible a thing to have happened. But, he was wrong. There were worse things. There were things so much more terrible, things he would shortly come to know. Things that began with:

"Edward..." Roy whispered. "I...I killed her.."

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**_To Be Continued..._**


	5. Chapter 5

**Toki Ni Ai  
The Remastered Edition**

**_A Fanfiction By Erin Lightning_**

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_**Chapter V**_

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"What!" Ed said, snapping upright, his tears still blurring his vision. He released Taisa, watching the limp body fall back to the pillows, the shining face of the injured man contort into a grimace of pain that hardly seemed to phase the mind behind the face.

"The youth...the Homunculus..." The flashback swam back before Mustang, his vision colored by blood not his own.

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"So there you are, COLONEL," the creature seethed the word as if it were pure poison, "Mustang," and the smirk on its lips lit into a menacing grin.

"R-Riza!" gasped Roy, moving forward as if to take her from the Homunculus. "W-what have you done?"

The creature, Envy, as later Roy would find it was called, tossed her to the bottom of the heap of bodies in a nonchalant way, and Riza's limp frame hit against another with a sickening thump. Her once-beautiful features were drenched in blood, her face ghastly with its vacant gaze and staring eyes, the jaw hanging slack, the neck bent in an unnatural direction.

Roy gathered her into his arms, falling at her side and searching desperately for a heartbeat that wasn't there. "You monster!" Roy declared, his voice rising with each word. "You BASTARD! What have you done! What have you-"

"I didn't kill her," said Envy, in a coy, cruel way. He plopped down atop the stack, one knee bent up on which his elbow rested, drolly. "YOU did. Or so she died thinking."

Roy's jaw dropped and he stared ferociously up at Envy, his hands tight on Riza, clutching her close. He tried to keep his face stony, tried to block the creature's taunts as he had been taught in the military. But his eyes betrayed him. In his eyes the fear was a vibrant, pulsing thing - pure terror and unrivaled anger. "W-what did you say?"

"Oh, it was a simple thing," Envy said, smiling. He raised a hand and, in an instant, an exact replica of Roy Mustang stood before the Taisa, smirking that arrogant smirk that would have been all-too-familiar to Edward. "See?" he said, holding up a gun. "You shot her. A nice, conventional death, don't you think?" And as he spoke, Envy approached Roy

"Bastard.." Roy whispered. "You Bastard."

"Oh, I am a Bastard am I? No, Colonel Mustang, YOU are the Bastard. Is your precious position more important then your lover?" he waved an arm at the destruction behind him, but Roy didn't see this destruction. The world around him no longer existed. Only this being and himself.

"You could have protected her. You could have protected all of them. All you had to do was say "No". Walk away. But could you do that?" Envy snarled.

"I-I...I had..." There was no answer Roy could give. There was no excuse.

"Tell yourself you couldn't help her. Lie all you want. But SHE knew the truth..." Envy smirked. "She knew...that you were no better then you see me now!" And just like that, Envy stood, his body transforming back into himself once more before Roy, his figure now merely a foot away from the Colonel.

Roy didn't think - he lunged. His hand shot forward as if to create fire, but Envy was too quick. The Homunculus's hands shot out, taking hold of Roy's arms and snapping them away from one another, snapping the wrists like brittle wood, so that not only the hands themselves, but the flames would be useless.

"Ah, ah, can't have that can we?" he hissed in Roy's ears, pulling Roy backward against him, taking him into custody. "Naughty, naughty boy." A tongue flicked out of the demonic-being's mouth, tauntingly, and he murmured, "And naughty boys must be..." His body changed once more, only this time, it took on a masculine form that was familiar to Roy. Fuhrer King Bradley. "...must be punished...mustn't they?" The voice was perfect. A perfect copy.

Roy's eyes caught on Riza's dead body for the last time. What a horror to see it laying there so unceremonially and to know...to know of all things that he had brought her end! She never would have been able to tell the difference...she never should have had to...

To know that this creature spoke the truth!

And...to know...he had failed.

"Well, Colonel?" Envy smirked.

"Ri...za.." Roy whispered, certain even then that his torment had only just begun.

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_**To Be Continued...**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Toki Ni Ai  
The Remastered Edition**

**_A Fanfiction By Erin Lightning_**

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**_Chapter VI_**

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"So that's what happened," whispered Ed, tears still falling from his youthful eyes. He bowed his head once more against the laying Taisa's chest to hide his weakness, but it didn't work - it was still clear that Taisa saw him crying. And Roy, in turn, looked to be fighting hard now to keep from crying; to keep his expression steel.

For a moment, Ed wished to question this stern silence of the Colonel's, but another part of him understood it. Taisa wasn't heartless. In fact, he had too big of a heart. If he started crying for Riza, Ed knew something in the other man would snap, and he wouldn't be able to hold back. he would cry for Riza, for Breda, for Fury and Falman...for Hughes...for all of them.

Therefore, it pained Ed to ask what he had to know next - to push even the least bit further into that heart. "Taisa...how did you...how did you end up in that cell?" He asked, tilting his head up to look at Roy, whose own was turned off to the side, not looking directly at Edward.

Mustang's expression was of bitter resentment. "He disguised himself as Fuhrer and claimed I had attempted to kill him. He threw me in the dungeon, telling them all that he would deal with me and no one else was allowed in the cell. He declared me a traitor. And therefore a prisoner. And condemned me to death."

It made sense. But something in Roy's face told him the Colonel wasn't telling him everything.

"Is there something else?"

"Enough, Ed," Roy said. "Enough."

Ed was taken aback by this, by the fact that Mustang had just basically told him to knock off this questioning. But judging by Roy's physical state at this moment (his voice barely managed to say the words he spoke and his fever seemed to be returning, weighting him down even more so), Ed did as he was told.

He nodded, stood. "You need to eat."

"No."

"Taisa?"

"No."

"But, Taisa, you haven't eaten in days," Ed protested, waving a hand at his companion. "And from the look of it, you need food."

Mustering all his strength, Roy turned his eyes to Ed, fiercely. Tears shone in them, and he practically snarled, "Goddammit, I said no!"

Ed, hurt, insulted, merely nodded and left the room.

Taisa, sitting in the darkness alone now, found his weakened gaze set on the window, his thoughts choking him like a shroud of poison gas had just settled on him. It seemed needles pricked at the skin of every inch of his body. He coughed, choking, but settled after a moment, exhausted from the effort.

'Without Riza...The military doesn't want me...I'm outcast...He'll put me...No! Don't make me go back...Don't make me go back to that cell...So weak...Can't move...Please...Just...Let me...Die...' His muffled thoughts, confused, mixed up, came in torrents, shifting slowly from consious thoughts, practical thoughts, to pleas for death, for something final.

And his body slowly gave way once more to a fevered sleep.

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Ed, free of the gaze of the once-powerful Colonel, and free of the duty to act now as 'the strong one', collapsed with his back to the door, his hands coming up to cover his face, weeping unconsolably. His legs fell out from under him, and soon he was cowering on the floor like a wounded animal, sobbing so gently that not a soul would have heard him. His long, shaggy mane that he kept up in a braid was loose, and fell haphazard into his boyish face, his great sapphire tears rolling down his cheeks. How small he seemed - a little boy, lost, confused.

It was quite some time before he had run out of tears and could hardly feel anything anymore. His body had become numb in the crying and he felt all of the sorrow in his mind receding.

As always came the bitter sharp wit.

He remembered this trait to be the one thing that kept him going. When his mother had died, that day he stood with Al next to her grave, his sharp wit had come, working away his sorrow, molding it into some fierce force. 'Bring her back. How? Alchemy. Al can help. We'll bring her back. I won't live without her.' The day he had learned of Maes Hughes' untimely death, there it came again. And as he directed his sorrow towards the Colonel (Roy must still have the bruises from that punch, Ed concluded), the wit had come. 'The homunculi must be killed. I must destroy them.'

And now, curled up in a helpless ball, his hand clenched into a tight fist. And the wit came. 'Help Taisa. I'm going to restore him to what he once was. How? I'll think of a way. Equivalent Exchange, be what it must. Anything I have to give.'

'Everything, if need be. Everything for him.'

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_**To Be Continued...**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Toki Ni Ai  
The Remastered Edition**

**_A Fanfiction By Erin Lightning_**_****_

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**_Chapter VII_**

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Flashbacks reclaimed Roy's mind as he slept. How had he gotten to the cell in the first place? Oh yes, he remembered. How could he forget? That aching pain in his shoulder, the terrifying gaze of his fierce opponent...ah, but he was getting ahead of himself in his thoughts. He let his mind wander back...back...

As Edward had said, this remembering was more for Mustang's good then it was for Ed's. Roy, who had lain dormant in nothingness for so long, had to force these memories to his mind, if only just to remember his suffering.

But why? Was he tormenting himself again? Or was there clear purpose? Even he didn't know.

* * *

Roy felt the sting of the hard, cold ground on his back as he hit hard, sending a cloud of black soot up in all directions. He launched into a coughing fit but, in the midst of it, was instantly on his feet. His tried to bring his hands up for the fight, but his wrists hung limp, and he winced with the pain of his injury.

Bradley laughed at this. "How would you fight me, Mustang?" There was a hint of cruelty in his voice - of a deep, dark amusement. "You have no fists to fight me with! No flame to torch me!"

Roy took this instant to lash out with his right leg, but Bradley snatched it, overturning him. The Fuhrer yawned as Taisa hit the ground again. "Perhaps snapping your wrists was a bad idea," he mentioned. "I mean, I was at least hoping for a good fight from you. Flat out torture is too dull. It's boring."

Roy had regained his feet again, and there was a pained fury in his eyes. He kicked once, twice, three times, but each was blocked. Snarling, he dove forward, as if to headbutt the Fuhrer. Bradley backflipped, landing as Envy before Roy.

"Had enough yet?"

"B-B..." Roy said, breathing heavily to catch his breath. "You Bastard! I'll kill you!"

Envy smirked. "Guess so, ne?" he turned around and waved a hand at Roy cheerfully, his back to the Colonel. "Have fun rotting in your little cell, ne?"

Roy snarled. "I'm not finished yet!"

Envy shook his head, having reached the door and regained the form of Bradley. "Too bad," he said, taking the handle of the door and opening it. "because I am."

There was a resounding slam and then Roy was alone.

* * *

For days the Taisa passed in and out of consciousness. At times, he knew the monster was there, watching him, glorying in his misery. Sometimes Envy used him as a human hackysack. But at these times the Taisa lay still, not even bothering to fight back, and Envy would soon grow bored and wander away, leaving Mustang to slip back out of consciousness. At others, Roy would be wandering aimlessly around the cubicle room, his hands dragging across the wall limply looking for...for something, but coming up with nothing but more soot.

The ringing of the battlefield outside, the world's war, echoed through the little room. At times the floor shook or the walls trembled and he saw a bright flash, as if a bomb had been dropped nearby.

Sometimes, he fancied a young woman would bring him food, or some other warden. But he always rejected it, a feat that his tormentor enjoyed greatly. Roy lost count of how many times he had awakened to find his food in the clutches of the monster, who would dangle it tauntingly in front of Mustang's face.

"You want this?" he would ask in a snobbish voice. "Nope, guess not," and he'd shove it in his own mouth without further delay, taking a moment to smirk at Roy with his mouth full, and then licking his lips as he finished in a slow, grotesque manner.

For the first few days, he let the hope of escape brew within him. But how could an invalid, trapped in a dungeon of monsters, hope for such a blessing? Thoughts of such a feat quickly died within him, leaving him with nothing but regret and pain to console him in the bitter solitude of his cage. He thought of little, he did little, he remembered little.

What Roy did remember of the days that had expired boiled down to that he never spoke, not a word, to his captor and that the homunculus, in turn, was constantly trying to beat the living daylights out of him. And in the time when he was left to his own devices, Roy Mustang would sob softly for his fallen comrades, or give in to the will to simply lay in his sorrow, let it soak through him.

She filled his dreams in sleep, and his heart in the waking hours. Riza, that is. And he would not let go of her. He began to torment himself after a while, repeating over and over, "I did it. I killed her." And he would begin to cackle, almost insane with his guilt, with his sorrow. Then he would fight away those thoughts, clinging to sanity, shaking his head, feeling the immense love for her that still remained buried in his chest. He would see her walking dutifully down the hall beside him. He would see her raise her gun to defend him. He would see her lowering her jacket to him. And as he slept, he would cry out in anguish.

The guards started a rumor that he had slain so many men that it had driven him to insanity. Or perhaps he had lost everything in the war (he had) and was simply a cold-blooded killing machine. And then would come the rumor that to guard his cell was to know Hell itself was right in the next room. He became, without his knowing, nearly as infamous as the Crimson Alchemist himself.

* * *

Envy took a great liking to all of this. Roy could tell by the smug look on his face, the incriminating glare, the smirk he always kept. And Roy hated him for it. He dreamed of wiping that smirk off of Envy's face. In the most violent of manners.

Somehow, in all the days that went by, Roy's wrists had been bandaged and had slowly begun to heal. Miraculously one day, he had bid his fingers to move, and they had. Escape once more became a possibility. Escape from Hell. So, the next thing he thought of was to find a way to get his gloves back in his own possession (They had been taken the day he was thrown in the cell).

Or at least, that was the plan.

_

* * *

_

**To Be Continued...  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Toki Ni Ai  
The Remastered Edition**

_**A Fanfiction By Erin Lightning **_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter VIII**

**

* * *

**

Edward had regained his seat beside Roy surreptitiously and he found himself once again in the same position as when he had brought Mustang here. Roy was asleep, possibly and probably unconscious and it seemed his fever had returned full-force. Now all Ed could do was to sit beside Mustang and comfort him. But how was he to go about doing this? He wasn't even sure Taisa wanted him there. Perhaps it was like a coma victim and he should talk to Roy?

He tried this, but his words fell on deaf ears. Roy Mustang had yet to finish his reverie.

* * *

It was when time had fallen into nothing and when Roy Mustang no longer even bothered to keep track of how many days had passed, how many times the sun had risen and set, that Envy came, once more, in the form of Bradley.

Roy, who was positively determined to not let the monster's insults bring him to blows this time clenched his teeth and remained seated in the corner of the room, his eyes closed. He didn't want to see this creature before him and he definately didn't want to say anything he would regret. He was making a feeble attempt at a passive encounter.

"Well, well, well," Envy said, dropping the guise for his more youthful form, his short black hair giving way to long, wavy locks that were tinted a deep green. "it looks like you've stayed right where I left you."

He paused, waiting for Roy to speak, waiting to hear the same word that always came: Bastard! But there was nothing. He winced, and for a moment, Roy thought he had disheartened the creature enough for his plan to work. However, instead of retreating, Mustang's silence only egged the homunculus on. "Ah, the wild and free Mustang has finally been broken, has he? And here I was hoping that at last you'd have the courage to raise your fists to me! Soooo lame!"

Roy resolved not to speak. He clenched his teeth tighter, his fists clutching hard ground.

Envy took on a wicked grin and said, in the most cruel of voices, "Well then. I'm glad I brought this with me." His hand reached into a back pocket, withdrawing a clear, shiny white piece of paper, which he tossed before Mustang so that it landed perfectly on the ground in front of Taisa.

At first, Mustang didn't touch it. He didn't even look. But, when his shirt collar was snatched up and his face pressed down nose-to-nose with the horrifying image, he was forced to. And he regretted having left himself open, having let Envy grab him, immediately. Because there before him was a picture of that same scene he had seen before: the mound of bodies under the flaming sky and Riza Hawkeye lying, face up, her eyes open in a sort of shock: the horrid look of a dead body; her mouth agape. The same scene he had tried so hard to forget; the scene he could not help but remember. But this time, something was different. There sitting beside the body was none other than Mustang himself. Smiling. No, not Mustang. A copy. A monster.

"DAMN YOU!" screamed Roy, his hand snatching the picture, crumpling it, as his feet pushed him up and he lunged forward at Envy.

Envy ducked aside and Roy turned and thrusted a right-handed punch at him, a stength bubbling up inside of him he had never known before - an energy of pure fury. This time the youth jumped up, slamming a foot hard into Roy's shoulder, which sent the Colonel rolling backwards. Taisa steadied himself, pushing against the wall to remain standing straight. His head spun, but his mind was sharp, angry, and determined.

He moved forward, feigning a low left kick, but switching at the last second for a shot at Envy's shoulder. The homunculus caught this sudden movement, and countered with a punch that landed hard in Roy's gut, resulting in a loud snapping noise and a sharp moan of pain from Roy.

By now, Mustang, collapsing to the ground with the blow, had begun to sag horribly, as if his movements were too heavy for his body. He was breathing hard, and clutching his stomach, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. His knuckles hurt him: they were raw already from the ferocity of his falls and the punches he had thrown that had missed and knocked roughly against hard brick instead of demon flesh.

"You are out of your league," muttered Envy, advancing. Roy couldn't look up at him, only at the homunculuses' feet, which were about eye level for him from where he teetered precariously. Choking for air, he watched as there was an electric flash and the monster's bare feet suddenly morphed into booted ones. Bradley's form again? Roy slowly looked up, this simple gesture quite painful. He froze.

"Here's to you, Colonel," Riza Hawkeye said, holding her gun straight to his head as he looked up. There was a deep coldness in her eyes and an evil smirk on her lips that Roy used to tell, instantly, this wasn't HIS Hawkeye. Or...was it? How she must have hated him! A wave of immense emotion swarmed over him, clouding his mind, blocking his reason.

"Any last prayers, sir?"

"..." Roy was silent, save for his heavy gasps for air. His ribcage felt like tiny needles against the rest of him. His head spun. His vision swam. This was it. No escape. And somehow, he couldn't shake the feeling that he would be getting what he deserved.

Riza snarled, "Die the way you lived, Taisa!" Her eyes maniacal as she started to pull back the trigger, she practically yelled, "USELESS AND SILENT!"

Roy's eyes widened with shock as the impact of the words, along with a terrible, shooting pain, coursed through him. His ears were deafened with the sound of the gunshot, his eyes plagued with a horrible, blinding white light. He vaguely felt his legs slip from beneath him, and his final thoughts echoed in his mind like pebbles falling down a deep, empty well as the darkness finally washed over and consumed him.

'Is this...the end?' he thought. 'Did...I die...did I live...for nothing?"

* * *

Roy Mustang awoke with a jolt, sitting upright quite suddenly, reaching out to take the closest thing in hand. His mouth was wide and he knew he was crying something, screaming perhaps, but he couldn't hear his own words. His hands connected with something, but he couldn't comprehend what it was. He saw only darkness, as one would expect for so early in the morning and yet he had not the thought to realize this, only to feel a fear of that looming shadow about him. His hand clutched tighter, his chest beating hard with his shallow breaths, the tears rippling down his cheeks. It was a long time before he realized that there were arms wrapped around him, that he clutched a human hand, that a voice spoke to him through the darkness.

He knew Ed was with him. And he knew, somehow, that, even though those dreams had seemed real...he had left that cell and he was here...with Ed...And he had told Ed of what happened before the cell and...all of that, those memories of his last showdown with the homunculus were just memories. Nothing more.

"Edward...Edward..." he cried, softly, "Fullmetal..."

And there came the echo of the soft, young voice beside him:

"I'm here Taisa. I'm here. It's all right...I'll protect you.." Edward whispered, steadying his friend, his comrade. His Taisa. Even he at the time did not know the weight of the words he had just spoken, or where that promise would lead.

But someone did.

Outside the window, the flutter of a bird's wings, dissappearing into the pre-dawn night.

_**

* * *

**_

_**To Be Continued...**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Toki Ni Ai  
The Remastered Edition**_

**_A Fanfiction By Erin Lightning_**

* * *

**_Chapter IX_**

* * *

"Taisa, you need to eat."

"No."

"C'mon!"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"GODDAMN IT, ROY, EAT THE GODDAMN FOOD!" For the hundreth time, Ed tried to force food (and this time he had bought cake! How could the Taisa refuse cake of all things?) into Taisa's mouth, but, Roy, stubborn and weak, had clamped his mouth shut.

Ed collapsed, defeated, beside him. "What good does it do to starve yourself?" he asked.

Roy didn't speak for a few minutes. His eyes were focused on the blanket that covered him, downcast. His lips were sealed in a tight grimace. Ed had removed the stubble from his face with a little coaching from Roy, had cleaned him up, and yet he was still so guant - his skin pale from weeks underground, his frame lithe with lack of nutrition. He looked more like a living corpse than a human. Finally, he answered with, "Starvation makes the mind sharper, more alert, Ed."

"Yeah," Ed conceded with a soft, humbled sigh, standing up and starting to straighten up the room a little, pick up the dishes he had left here and there. "But what good does it do if you starve yourself to death?"

Roy was silent as a stone.

* * *

And this was how things had become. Since Taisa had awoken and determined he would stay awake now, he had become a hell of a lot more stubborn. Ed didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but it seemed Roy wouldn't talk to him further about...well, anything, really. What went on in that mind became as mysterious as it had been when they had been Colonel and, well, underling - as mysterious as a door, locked tight and bound with chains. Mustang's worries, his feelings, his ills returned to being a "thing for grownups that little children should not bother with".

He wouldn't eat, still, and they were steadily moving into the seven day mark of such a trend for Roy in Ed's company. Ed wondered how the hell the man stayed alive, but then he recalled that Taisa had an almost inhuman will and so...well, whatever. Taisa wouldn't sleep either, because his sleep always brought nightmares to him and it had become painstakingly clear that he hated to depend on Ed's comfort, even when he needed it most.

So he would sit awake and think. Three times a day (though it felt like a thousand), Ed would fight with him over food. Roy always won, simply because the chibi alchemist wouldn't force anything on a man in Roy's condition. Stubborn as Edward was, he always seemed on the losing end when it came to Roy - that was nothing new. Sometimes, they would talk, but usually it consisted of Ed babbling and Roy just listening...or pretending to listen, Ed didn't know which.

Ed brought Roy books, too. Mustang seemed to not mind this. He read the classics, the magazines, anything Ed brought. Especially, and this was suprising, alchemical books.

Edward thought Roy would want to stay away from alchemy now, but no, the Taisa seemed even more interested. How very odd.

* * *

Tonight as Ed finished cleaning, he resumed his seat next to Mustang, finding himself babbling on once more about this and that - the state of the world, the ongoings of the people of Central. He never expected Roy to respond.

Ed sighed. "The war doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon..."

Roy said nothing.

"How did it start anyways? I heard it had to do with..."

Roy answered, slowly. His voice had gotten a bit stronger lately and Ed wasn't sure how. Roy wasn't taking care of himself and all Edward could do was change his bandages and put ointments on the wounds, but nevertheless he did seem to be getting a little better. "The Philosopher's Stone. One was created...or so we thought...but the Homunculus says it's a fake."

It was Ed's turn to say nothing. This was new: Were they actually having a conversation?

"Everyone wants it. Lior, the State, the Homunculus, the remaining Ishvalans, the East nations..." Roy paused, coughing hard, and Ed reached a hand out to steady him. Usually, this gesture would be batted away, but this time Roy didn't make a move to reject it.

"I can't help the feeling it's my fault."

"It's not."

"But?"

"It's not," Roy answered, firmly. This sort of tone meant, "End of discussion".

And the discussion would have been finished, if not for the fact that Ed happened to note a rather troubled look in Mustang's eye. He waited a moment, searching for something, something in that deep, obsidian darkness. But trying to read Roy Mustang was like trying to read a closed book, and therefore he would have to trust that Roy would continue speaking with him openly. It was a long shot, but....

"Something wrong?" he ventured.

Roy's eyes travelled in one fluid movement to lock with Ed's, and they narrowed a little, as if he were angered. Ed froze. This was uncharacteristic of Taisa: new or old. Roy spoke one short sentence, completely off-subject, Ed presumed: "None of the books you've brought me has anything on human transmutation."

Ed blinked. "Oh? Is that...bad?" He couldn't tell what Roy was thinking. It seemed Taisa was merely pointing this fact out, nothing more, but...Ed couldn't shake that ominous feeling in the pit of his stomach. His hand reached over to the table nearby, running across the cover of a leather-bound alchemical book. He grabbed it, skimmed.

He repeated this with several others, before nodding. "You're right."

Roy mumbled something now, under his breath, his eyes focused on the sheets again. Ed didn't hear what he said.

"What?"

Ed, this time, heard but two syllables, and knew immediately he must be mistaken. He thought he heard: "Teach me."

"Mustang?" he asked, standing now, a worried look shooting to his face. The book he had been holding dropped to the floor with a resounding "THUD!", but Edward paid it no mind. His eyes were focused on the bed's occupant, incredulous.

Roy's own eyes, deep black fire, inclined to lock on Ed's, that same sort of dark fury in them as his look had been but minutes ago. He spoke coldly now, firmly, as if he were resolved in this matter.

"I'm going to bring her back."

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Toki Ni Ai  
The Remastered Edition**

_**A Fanfiction By Erin Lightning**_

* * *

**_Chapter X_**

* * *

"T-T-Taisa!" Ed gasped, backing away, his hand reaching out to steady himself, but only managing to knock everything on the side table to the ground with a crash. "You-you can't be-"

"I'm completely serious, Ed. I can't do anything without her. And it's my fault after all. I was the one..."

"No!" Ed shouted. "Don't say it!" His voice began to catch in his throat, losing power as he spoke the final word, "Please..." Roy's eyes were still locked with Ed's and they were shooting daggers at the young alchemist, boring into him so powerfully that they stung. Ed felt that they were oddly hypnotic: he couldn't break his gaze from Taisa's and yet, it felt that if he couldn't break away, and soon, he would surely drown in this horrifying gaze.

"I owe it to her to try," Roy said, calm.

"Owe it to her! Roy, it wasn't your fault!" Ed said, a temper rising up in him. Wasn't it his promise to help Taisa? Wasn't it now, then, his promise to keep Taisa from doing this unspeakable act? But his fear still overwhelmed him. He backed away even as he spoke, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe his ears.

"It was my fault for not helping her, Ed!" Mustang's voice rose sharply, becoming hoarse with the effort. It pained him to speak like this, more than just physically, especially to Ed of all people.

"You can't do this! I won't let you! I won't teach you! Taisa...Roy do you want to end up like me!" Ed said, balling his metallic fist and raising it to show Taisa. He felt snared between emotions: should he cower from Mustang or punch the man's lights out until he could no longer move? The latter Ed had done many times. So why wouldn't his feet carry him forward to do it now? Why couldn't he attack Taisa? Why couldn't he beat sense into him? His teeth gritted.

"I don't care Ed. I have to try. And, if I fail, let me suffer whatever Hell I have to for it!" Taisa's hand clenched the sheets tight in it. He teeth were clenched just as tight, grinding against each other so that Ed thought Roy's entire jaw would crack. "She was all I had!" He looked away at last, hurt clear in his eyes.

Ed, caught in the intensity of those words, backed right up over one of the careless knick-knacks he had knocked over moments ago and went crashing to the floor, falling into the corner, back pinned up against the wall. His body shook - from what he didn't know. Pain ripped through him. 'No...' he thought. 'No this is all wrong...this is wrong...' He began to mumble out loud, "No...no...no..."

"Get up," Roy said, sharply, his eyes snapping back to focus on the boy. "Get up! A State Alchemist wouldn't just fall over like that!" His eyes shut and he said, in an attempt to regain composure while still letting his anger take him, "For the sake that I was once your superior, Ed, teach me. That is..." he said, body beginning to sag already back against the pillow that supported him as fatigue settled into his body, "...an order."

Ed curled into himself, cowering, his shivers rocking his entire body. He lacked the capacity to stand up again, to fight, because he knew Taisa's searing eyes and cruel words could hurt him worse then any sword or stone ever could. He covered his head, crying out angrily, sobbing. "No....I won't! I can't!"

"Get up!" Roy said, his eyes widening, the anger turning to fear. "Ed do it! Teach me!" His voice rose to a new height. "I HAVE TO KNOW!"

Ed cried out one word almost simultaneously with Roy's plea, "BASTARD!"

* * *

Minutes had passed. Ed sobbed in the corner, pressing himself to it to get as far from Taisa as he could. His body shook ever more violently and he was overcome suddenly with hatred, with fear. What was this monster before him now? Did Roy really think that all he had was death before him? Ed couldn't stand up to him...but he couldn't step aside, either. Not to something as selfish as that. He'd seen too much destruction already, and so much of it wrought by his own hand - why must there be more?

Roy, across the room and in direct contrast to the Fullmetal's quivering form, was entirely still. He had taken Ed's words to heart, like a physical blow. His eyes, wide, filled with terror, stared helplessly at the golden-haired child. He wobbled in the bed as if to fall over, his eyes glistening. He was so weak, he could barely hold himself up and there he saw in his mind the gleaming ivy locks of the homunculus, that wicked smile it held...and he heard his own voice crying out at it, those very same words - it was almost enough to make him give in.

And he realized, 'I'm no better then that demon now...what have I done? I would have given anything to have my way...even if it meant...'

His hand reached out in the air, grasping for Ed. The motion caused the rest of his body to collapse against the sheets, unstable and unable to support itself any longer. A single tear made it's way down his cheek, and his voice was naught but a whisper now, his fearful look mixed with a sudden kindness...a sudden love. And such a deep regret. "Ed...Edo...I'm sorry...I..."

"Monster..." Ed whispered. "Monster..." He sobbed. "Stay away..."

"Ed, please.." Roy begged. "I didn't...I didn't mean it..Please...come here..."

Ed refused to budge. All he did was repeat the same word, over and over, cowering.

* * *

The clock ticked by. The only sounds were the soft whimpering of the boy, and the rasping breathing of the elder as he tried so hard to regain his strength, his own tears gently brushing down his ashen cheeks.

Roy understood finally. By asking Ed to teach him human transmutation...he had been asking for Ed to kill him, in a way. This was so wrong. This wasn't what he wanted. He...oh, god, if only Hawkeye was here! And where was Maes now, now when Roy needed his whole-hearted punches to knock sense into him? God, how he remembered the blood plastered on the walls, the ash and the soot and the chemicals spread across the floor, the strong arms holding him back. But no one could ever replace Maes....and Havoc and the others would have as much reason as Ed to be afraid...

He had to make things right. He realized this and found his arms and legs trying with all their might to move him to a standing position. His wounds bit deep into him like chains and he knew his shoulder was bleeding again. But...he had..."Gaah..." Roy moaned, grasping for the edge of the bed, missing. His legs collapsed the second he tried to stand and he was on the hard floor without any knowledge of how he had gotten from there to here. Ed seemed so far away now. Roy didn't know if he could make it...but...

"Ed..." he whispered, once more, tentatively. His voice was very weak.

"Go away! Monster!" Ed yelled, tossing a book behind him, without looking where he had thrown it. It just missed Roy, landing beside him, but it had startled the Taisa enough that he fumbled and his chest hit the ground hard, causing a beastial noise to emit from his lips in response to the pain as he struggled to drag himself forward again. Tears came to Mustang's eyes, flowing steadily, as he forced himself to crawl towards his...his friend. He bit back the pain, bit back the further cries that surfaced in him. His fault. His punishment. He must bear it alone. He had been such a fool. Such a fool...

Finally, his hands wrapped around the FullMetal's shoulders, and his head rested against Ed's back. "I'm so sorry..." he whispered, his voice but a wisp now. "Sorry...Ed...it's...it's alright now...You were right....Please....forgive me..."

Ed sobbed, and Roy sobbed, and they sat there together. In their grief, bound by anguish, a connection began to grow between the two. Ed didn't push him away, and Roy said nothing more.

But Roy knew, now, that this was not the way things should be.

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._**


	11. Chapter 11

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning

* * *

**_

Chapter XI

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* * *

**_

So it was that after this ordeal, this horrible realization, that Roy Mustang began scheming. He started putting a plan into action. And this right here is most likely where the true story should begin.

The next few nights, the entire apartment seemed uneasy. Edward crept around the house like a mouse, hardly speaking, except for a simple kind word from time to time. Roy knew he had hurt Ed, and so he accepted this treatment. He remained quiet in return, and stayed in bed. He realized now that he would have to get stronger. He couldn't even stand...and he would need to in the future.

That's why he finally accepted food. And this little acceptance seemed to cheer his friend, but Edward still seemed timid, unsure around him. So, now FullMetal spent his days bringing food and books, alchemical books, to Roy. That was another thing that was off. Ed brought Roy books now on human transmutation.

Roy also noted that Edward would no longer look him in the eyes.

And this only drove the fact home that it was time.

Time to leave.

* * *

For days, Roy ate with a gluttonous appettite. He ate, and he practiced moving his limbs, and he slept now, nightmares or no. It paid off. His body recovered very quickly, which was somewhat of a blessing. He couldn't take this atmosphere anymore. He couldn't take FullMetal's silence, his apprehensiveness.

He worked hard, reminding himself again and again that maybe, just maybe, he had a chance of bringing Hawkeye back. Ed said it was foolhardy, but what else was there? Roy didn't have much of a home. He didn't have anyone else anymore. He didn't even have the military to return to!

No, there were two options now. Try to do the impossible, and recover what it was he had lost, or just give up, hole up and die. The latter had been his plan before. The latter had been his intention in that cold, dark cell. He had rather wanted to die then to wake every morning to that demon's grin, with the taunts, the cruelty.

But Edward had changed this. He had shown Roy something in just his quiet observations, his gentle touch, those soothing words. He had shown Roy that all he needed was someone by his side. He just needed to turn back the time. Apologize to Riza, bring her back...and find a way to reclaim all those days he had wasted pretending he was just her Taisa.

This was his mission.

* * *

Edward returned home one night from wherever it was the daylight hours took him to, to find Roy Mustang cooking. Cooking?

"Taisa!" he said, with a gasp, walking into the small, cramped kitchen to find the Colonel, in a clean shirt and a clean pair of pants, with hair brushed, cooking. Well, not really cooking, it was more like burning. Alarmed, Ed moved forward, turning the heat on the oven down just a little.

Roy regarded him a moment, then said, simply, "Thank you."

Ed looked away, realizing he had almost seen Roy's eyes. "O-of...course.."

Roy gave a friendly little smile. "Just for tonight, FullMetal...will you help me cook the dinner? I...want.." he stopped himself from asking Ed to teach him, replacing the wicked phrase with, "I can't do it myself."

Ed, looking down, nodded. "S-sure." He went to the cupboard, grabbing the salt, and they commenced preparing what Edward would later learn was a farewell meal.

* * *

Practically an hour later, with the last rays of the sunlight, in glorious sunset, ringing through the hallways of the apartment, and the table set to perfection in the main room, the food was placed on that same table, and the two were seated. They said nothing as they ate; words would hurt them too much. Some firm understanding between them existed, as they tore away at the soft flesh of the roasted chicken, only slightly burnt, that something tonight would end. For FullMetal, he didn't know what that something was. Roy did.

They drowned their sorrows in a bottle of wine that Ed had saved for some time for "no particular reason". Ed was no drinker, but tonight he accepted a half-glass. He choked down the Pinot Noir, crisp and flavorful, more for Taisa's sake then for his own, as Roy tried to savor his, but it merely made his throat burn.

Nothing was good tonight. Nothing was whole, and sweet. Nothing was as it should be. Nothing was as it was meant to be.

And it was time for Roy to fix that.

* * *

He waited until FullMetal, still in quiet and angst, had gone seemingly to bed, before packing up everything he owned in a small bag. It wasn't much: his state alchemist clothes, washed, a few dollars he still had, the pocket watch, and the human transmutation books.

With one last glance back at the room where he had spent so much time for the last few weeks, the room where he had both felt Edward's affection, and his pure terror, the room where everything had become so clear...Taisa turned his head away. It was time to go.

Reaching for the door, he faltered but a moment. His lips moved to whisper, "Goodbye Ed...I'm sorry...I'm sorry I couldn't return the favor you did for me. Thanks for everything. I wish I hadn't ruined it."

Then, he was gone.

* * *

The door to Edward's room creaked open, slowly...and a teenage head poked out, blond hair ruffled and falling loosely down his shoulders. With a tear in his eye, he watched the door shut with a terrible finality.

"Goodbye, Mustang..."

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	12. Chapter 12

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning ****

* * *

** _

**Chapter XII**

_**

* * *

**_

Roy Mustang, now dressed in full attire once more (his military garb, complete with jacket, on which he had added a hood so that his face wouldn't be so easily recognized), slipped the silver pocket watch of the military down on the table in front of the library's main operator.

She smiled with instant recognition of the timepiece. "Welcome to Central library, sir. Are you new around here?"

He nodded slowly, and answered with a curt, simple, "Yes," making sure his voice was deeper then usual. It would be quite easy for the military to confiscate him here, and he still had some work to be done. After all, he was still no closer to knowing the secret behind human transmutation, and he had to return Hawkeye before getting thrown back into that little hellhole of prison.

Or worse. Something told Mustang he didn't want to die yet, so, for now, he'd have to take care to keep himself hidden.

Luckily, the attendant sensed nothing wrong, and replied, "Oh. Have a nice day."

The table in the very back was perfect for his...studies. Sitting, he pulled out all of his books, and his papers...and knew he had to start, but he was too troubled to. His mind went back to the events of the past few days.

Those horrid days since he had left Edward.

* * *

Upon leaving Edward Elric's house, the full weight of the world had settled back on Mustang's shoulders.

The town seemed in a flurry, anarchy settling on it for lack of justice. There were no military men on duty here; they must all be at the war. Therefore, there was no justice. And...the war itself...

The people were rioting in the streets, and when he overheard conversations of over-eager passerby, the verdict of the war was none too appealing.

"The military's losing out! See what use those dogs are now?" mumbled a man on a bench, almost randomly, in the park that Roy was passing through. Drawing closer, Mustang caught the scent of liquer on him, and had to wonder whether to stop and listen, or cast these mumblings aside as drunken rants. The man himself was greasy, with slicked-back black hair and sweat dripping down his bushy brows. His clothing was full of holes and tears.

Another man nearby chimed in, however."What good are they? They're never there when we actually need 'em, and all they ever do is massacre innocent people to keep us from goin' against 'em!" This guy, too, was drunk. Though he looked a little less so then the first.

A woman, not nearly as slobbish as the two drunkards, who had been passing by stopped to comment as well. "I've had two sons die in the war already. How many lives to they have to waste? And what is this war over? Some little jewel?"

"The Philosopher's Stone," Roy said, slowly. "It's a stone that will give its' bearer the greatest power in the world."

"Oh, 's that it?" groaned the first drunkard. "Sounds likestupid rumorsto me. "sn't that thing some sorta fairy tale?"

"It can bring back the dead," Roy said.

"So they would kill thousands to save a few people? To save themselves, those dogs would kill all of us?" the woman said. "I can't take this! What kind of world are we living in?"

"Excuse me?" asked Roy.

"Say, you ain't one of 'em scraggly mongrel dogs, are ya?" the first drunkard cut in. "Cuz if ya-"

A sudden wave of nausea passed over Roy. He wasn't used to walking around, let alone engage in such a conversation with a small mob. He wavered a moment, trying to steady himself, before answering, "I'm not. Now, Miss, what were you saying?"

But the woman had taken up her conversation with another, and it was futile trying to get her attention. Besides, he couldn't pretend forever. He'd rather avoid a fight right now, at least until he reached his home and got more of a handle on the situation.

He started to walk off, only to be stopped by a howl of laughter behind him. This forced the retired Colonel to turn his head back in the direction of his mocker, his eyes landing on the second drunk, who had been silent since his first comment.

Now, the man lifted a hefty bottle to his lips, took a deep glug, and wiped his mouth with a meaty arm, laughing. "Ain't hiding nothin, sonny," he said. "You ain't a very good disguise artist, boy. I can see right through ya!"

Everyone in the entire park area that heard those words turned their heads. Who wouldn't? One amongst them had just been called out as a military dog. Roy figured instantly he'd been right to want to get out of there. None of these people looked too happy.

Roy blinked, then frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about." He walked away, careful to keep his pace slow, so he wouldn't seem suspicious.

He vaguely caught the man's last sordid words: "You can't hide forever!"

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	13. Chapter 13

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning ****

* * *

** _

**Chapter XIII

* * *

**

Roy's apartment was a wreck. The ceiling, in disrepair, leaked deep darkened water onto the floor. A puddle had formed; the crack had been there a while.His books were scattered about in an uncaring manner. His bed was untucked, unmade. Dust had settled on almost everything, and he vaguely caught the movement of what was probably a rabies-infested rat as it scampered by.

The entire room had that stench of something old and forgotten, and Roy couldn't shake the feeling he remembered it before. Ah, yes. This was the same sort of state it had been in when Maes had... Ah, but some memories are best left forgotten. He shook his head.

Right now, Mustang couldn't have been any more NOT in the mood to clean up. He did it merely to suit himself just a bit. He grabbed the sheets of his bed and pulled them up. He dusted a few things with his hand that he just happened to touch. The books he stacked in a little pile...

...and then he saw the picture on the floor.

It was an old photograph, one of the entire crew: Maes, Armstrong, Havoc, Fury, Breda, Falman, and...Riza...His heart hurt. His head spun. He stood, and sought a chair at his table, nearly squishing the rat in his staggering. The pathetic beast gave a little warning hiss and scampered off.

His hand let the picture clatter to the table, and his eyes were caught on it. He felt he was being drawn into memories...his hands came up and covered his head, and his head fell to rest on the table, forehead laying against the cool glass of the photo. He wanted to cry again, but that wouldn't help anything. And it wasn't like him. So he sat. For hours...he didn't know how long.

It was when he heard a kindly voice at the door that he looked up at last. 'Ah, yes, Mustang, you fool, you didn't lock the door,' he thought, as his eyes met with a little old lady, his neighbor in these apartments. He remembered, in retrospect, that she was a good neighbor. She always kept the noise down in her apartment, and she had brought him food several times.

Brought him food? Hell, he had almost been living off her when he had first moved in. He was belittling her. Without her constant making of "too much food for one old lady", he would have starved. And she was always a good person to cheer him up. He was glad to see she hadn't died while he was away.

She was about half his height (shorter then Ed, even), with graying hair that hung to her tiny shoulders, and glasses that she still couldn't see with. (She looks a bit like an older Pinako)

Now, he was ashamed. He was a military dog in her mind, and she probably wanted a piece of him now. And, since he couldn't hit an old lady, he would just take it.

"Is that you, Roy?" she asked, in bewilderment.

"Yes, mam," he said, using respectful terms. He bowed his head, and repeated, softer, "It's me.."

She toddled over to him, slowly, and he could tell he was under a good scrutiny. Her eyes, feeble as they were, were trying to take in every bit of the young man in front of her. And, satisfied, she stepped back a little. "You're back. We never thought you'd make it."

"You aren't upset with me?" he asked, confused.

"Heavens no. We're good citizens. We cheer on the military, sonny, and don't you think we don't. You know the people here wouldn't judge you just on what you are. We're neighbors, sonny, in this war, and neighbors have gotta look out for one another, don't they?"

Roy blinked. This was a bit personal for an old lady he had hardly ever spent time with, but, he realized, it wasn't meant to be heart-to-heart. She was trying to cheer him up. "Yes," he said. "They do. Thank you." He let himself sit there, let himself be steeled quiet, shut like a safe.

The woman shrugged, and started to leave. "Do what you gotta do, boy. You've got a home here, and don't you forget it. We're all cheering for you." She paused, thoughtfully, then smiled, "I'll just leave a casserole on your counter for you."

Roy could have laughed. She was treating him like some just-out of school kid. It'd been so long...Ah, but he was silent now, as another thought came to him. The thought that he still had people, not just Ed, that wanted him to succeed. And a place to belong. He had everything to live for...

And yet his heart knew, somewhere deep inside of it, that he had nothing. Riza...yes...he still needed her.

No matter what he had now, he was still going to go through with his plan.

**

* * *

**

**To Be Continued...**


	14. Chapter 14

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning ****

* * *

**_

**Chapter XIV******

* * *

_After getting dressed once more in his military clothes, and packing up the few things he might need: chalk (for drawing a circle), an extra set of clothes, all the books he now owned about human transmutation, and that blasted picture, he was ready to go to the Central library. Save for a few final things. The first of these was a disguise. A wanted man should, as a rule of thumb, not stride right into the midst of his captor's lair without a suitable disguise._

_He attached a hood to his jacket. That'd do._

_The next thing to be done was to find a pair of his gloves. The last ones, ruined by Envy most likely, and in god-knows-where by now, were of no use. So a backup pair was needed. For "just-in-case".__

* * *

_

_Finally, he had to go on forbidden territory: he had to pay a visit to the vacant home of Riza Hawkeye. Well, it was vacant of human life._

_As he opened the door with the spare key she had given him so long ago. Thank God he hadn't lost it in that horrid little apartment of his, and, also, thank God that the rat hadn't taken/eaten it. Which reminded him that he needed to call an exterminator...then came the thought that, according to Edward's point of view, Roy wouldn't live long enough to have to worry about these sorts of things._

_His mood was melancholy as he looked about. Yes, Riza had a respectable home, and, of course, time hadn't even touched it. How long had it been since he had been sent to the battlefield? Calendars had become useless to Mustang, and, therefore, he didn't know. But it was long enough for his apartment to go to shambles. Which was why he found it odd that her home seemed so clean, so..._

_Backing up, Riza had a nice home. Wooden floors, little place. Nice white walls, and everything just where it belonged. The place always was dusted, even when she was gone for a while. The neighbors took care of it..._

_That's right, the neighbors took care of it. They must have been here recently. God Help Mustang should they catch him here. He really didn't want his survival to go absolutely public. Therefore, he must focus on why he came here again._

_His eyes scanned the room, but, seeing no sign of what he was looking for, he let his suitcase drop lightly to the ground._

_"Grrr..." came a throaty noise from across the room, as if the room's one inhabitant had just noticed his arrival. Or just found it a threat._

_His eyes focused on the darkened corner, the pair of glowing eyes watching him, the sharp teeth bared. Roy reached a hand up, which caused the growl to grow in measure, until it seemed a beast of immeasurable size was there, waiting. His hand grasped the hood, slowly..._

_"GRRR!" paws slammed on the ground, and, a creature that could easily be the size of a wolf came bounding out of the darkness, canines bared, claws clacking on the hard floor, eyes glowing._

_Just as Roy dropped the hood, a weight landed heavy on his chest, a paw digging deep into his shoulder, his wound. He winced, pained, as he was knocked, helpless, to the floor, only to succumb to a rapid round of licks and barks._

_He managed a smile, trying vainly, and gently, to remove the beast from his chest. "Yes, yes, Black Hayate, it's me. Buraha, get off. You've grown; you're very heavy. Down, boy."_

_The dog obeyed, stepping off him, watching silently as Roy made it to his feet and brushed himself off. Usually, Black Hayate would not even tolerate Roy's presence, and, when he did, it was spent in an awkward sort of look between the two. Roy terrified Hayate, ever since his tirade when Fury had first shown him the pup. Hayate, though interesting Roy, was just an "extra" in Mustang's life that could be tolerated, sometimes kept as company, but usually nothing more._

_Now, they seemed to be surveying each other. Hayate, as if sensing a change in Roy, sniffed the air warily. Roy, in turn, looked the dog over. Hayate was bigger. Much bigger. Full-grown by now, and up to Roy's waist at the shoulders. His black coat had grown in fuller, and his white paws stood out more._

_Roy smirked. "Awfully handsome, for a dog, now aren't you?"_

_Hayate, being an animal, couldn't answer. But he nosed his way closer as Roy spoke, his cold nose touching Roy's hand, sniffing at it._

_Roy realized the creature was looking for his mistress, of course. However long they had been gone, Roy realized it had to have been a time for the pup to have grown this much. "She's gone," he said, petting Hayate's ears almost affectionately._

_Hayate perked his ears as Roy petted, having possibly heard the word "she". He gave a little whine._

_"You need her too, don't you?" Roy asked, looking at the room around him, instead of the dog. "Well, don't worry...I'm going to bring her back. I promise."_

_Hayate's tail wagged, but he whined softer._

_"Don't you worry too," Roy complained, arrogant. "Ed's complaining was enough." Oooh, ouch. Ed. 'Bad,' Ropy thought, 'bad Mustang for bringing that up.' Ed was just a memory now; a memory Roy was already trying to forget. He couldn't have Riza AND Ed, so now, he would have to stick with a path, and not turn back. He had chosen Riza._

_Hayate seemed unsatisfied._

_Roy sighed. Some consolation was all he had come here for, and, he supposed he had found it. Now, no more hesitation. It was time to get to work._

_He reached for the door, turning, but was stopped by Hayate grabbing his jacket in his furry mouth, whining._

_"Don't want me to go now?" Roy said, patting his partner on the head. "I'll be back, you'll see, with Riza." He gently coaxed his jacket away from hayate, and then cast a last look around the room.__

* * *

_

_Little did he know, it would be the last time he would ever come here._

_

* * *

_

**_To Be Continued..._**


	15. Chapter 15

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning ****

* * *

**_

**Chapter XV******

* * *

_So, he had left Riza's home, in all it's worn beauty, in search of a place where he would find the answer to his problem, or at least the factor that might decide his fate. And this place, he had already long ago determined, was the Central's main library._

_If any place had information on human transmutation, it would be the library of the military dogs. Who knew when one of them would go rogue and want to break the code of the military by trying the impossible feat? Who knew when the torments of war would spawn someone like Roy with all the resources he needed and nothing left to live for?_

* * *

He settled in at one of the tables in the back, setting his suitcase down lightly on the floor next to him. His eyes, behind the mask of shadows the cape shed on them, searched the room. Mountains of bookshad beenstacked all over, and towers of shelves piled high with copies of this or that famous book by this or that famous author. Every now and then, a leather-bound cover would stick out, distinguishing the book attached as a hand-written copy.

Where to begin?

His feet led him easily from the table to the nearest shelf, and his hand touched the title of the first book before him, "Chimera Theories by Jean Phalanx". Roy'd never heard of it. He moved on, running his finger lightly across the dusty spines, reading names aloud, "Basic Transmutation Circles...Alchemy for Beginners...Principle of Equivalent Exchange..." That last one seemed useful, perhaps. He picked it up.

He paused, suddenly, a little electric shock shooting up his back as he heard the footsteps of someone approaching. Quickly, he sought to busy himself in the books. Maybe the newcomer wouldn't notice him?

"Hey! You! What are you doing there?" asked a rather tired, yet strong-sounding voice, typical of a military dog.

'So much for that theory,' Roy thought to himself. His body froze, and images of the cell shot through his mind. He didn't want to go back, no, never. And he was so close now!

"So?" the voice behind him said. Something was familiar about this intruder. That voice...Roy had heard it before...and he had a feeling that it should be a bit more familiar to him. But he couldn't place it. Where had he heard it? Oh, what was the use of standing here! He couldn't speak, for fear he'd be found out. If he knew this person, they'd ceertainly know him. And...

Enough. It was time to take a chance. He turned, slowly, muttering in the deepest voice he could, "I was researching Shou Tucker's..." He paused, dropping the book he had picked up.

"Hm?" The man standing before him, a young blonde in a military outfit, with a kind sort of look, that seemed, at the same time to say that he was bored to tears with his job,looked confusedly at Roy. This wasn't Ed, no...but the face...it looked familiar to Roy. Too...familiar. "Do I know you?" the man asked. "You look familiar."

"H-Havoc?" Roy asked, in shock, the image and the name finally adding up in his mind to produce a sort of whimpering voice from him.

"!" Havoc stepped forward suddenly, then paused, as if taken aback. "Mustang?"

Roy's hand uncovered the hood from his face, as he slowly made his way over to his good friend. "I thought you died! I thought..."

"You're supposed to be dead Mustang. What are you doing here? They said you died in that cell, Taisa, or that you mighta escaped, and you'd die from your injuries. Where the hell have you been? Don't you know they'll catch you here?" Havoc assaulted Roy with a barrage of questions immediately. His words slipped out so fast that it seemed as if he had never been that cool, antisocial guy, who had always sat in the back of the room and pretended the rest of them weren't there.

But time could change all things, Roy knew. This proved true, even with looks. Roy was semi-cleaned up now, but he was still bandaged under these clothes, and he was still a wreck. Havoc looked no better: his eyes seemed blood-shot, with deep bags hanging under them. His hair was sloppily-brushed, as if he didn't care about it.He had a 3 o'clock shadow, as if he hadn't shaved in a while either. But he looked no worse for wear.

Roy, who was entirely unable to say anything in answer to the questions, merely gave a cocky smile. "Good to see you, Jean."

* * *

Seated at the table, Jean had his head in his hands, his hands propped up on the table itself. Roy sat in quite contemplation across from his friend. Both were silent now, as Roy finished relating the story of the time in the cell, and all of his time with Edward. But these were not merely two friends seeing each other after a long time. They were two comrades, both who had been thought dead, and one who would soon be if not deterred by the other.

"You're not going to go through with this..." Havoc said. "You're kidding me."

"Why would I kid?"

"Mustang! This is...it's suicide!" Havoc blurted, suddenly, sitting upright, his hand slamming on the table.

"Say my name any louder, and we'll attract a crowd. I bet the librarians could use a good promotion for bringing in the runaway ex-Taisa," Roy said, calmly, ignoring the outburst.

Jean Havoc gritted his teeth, smirked. "I have half a mind to send you back to that cell on purpose...it'd stop you from this!"

Roy's face darkened. "You and Ed both. But I wouldn't be stopped then. I'd find some way."

"Mustang-why?"

"Because I never knew what I had until she was gone. And I can't go on without trying at least once to bring her back."

"And what if you do, and she doesn't want to be brought back? What if she comes back as a chimera? Mustang, what if she hates you for bringing her back?" Havoc asked, bringing a cigarette to his mouth, realizing this was a library, putting it away.

Roy was silent.

"Mustang, think about it. You've got me now, and Ed, and we could help you clear your name. You could be Taisa again. You could-"

Roy stood now, taking the book he had dropped in hand.

"Mustang!" shrieked Jean. "You can't-"

"I'm going to do it. And you can't stop me. Havoc, if I survive..." he paused. "WHEN I survive...Maybe we'll see each other again."

Jean, about to retaliate, so much so that he stood suddenly, overturning his chair, glared at Roy, but paused before he spoke words he would regret. He held back his tongue, and lowered his head. "I can't stop you either, can I?"

Roy smiled to himself. "No one can."

"Then...good luck...Mustang, I hope you know what you're doing."

"I don't have a clue," said Roy. And, with that, he left the building.

* * *

Havoc stood alone by the table for the longest time. Yes, he knew he couldn't stop Roy. There was no way he ever could. But...oh, how he wished Roy hadn't chosen this path!

His hand went to his right shoulder slowly, pulling back the sleeve of the uniform...His hand touched cold metal, ran along the automail. Yes, he knew Edward's pain too well, but it was Taisa he wanted to understand. And, sadly, he realized that he had failed. When Taisa finally needed him, when he had a chance to stop him...Havoc had been a pushover.

He'd failed to even bring about the fact of artificial limbs! He wanted to smack himself for his stupidity.

But, now, there was only one thing to do. Get Ed. Fast. Who knew how long it would take Roy Mustang to create a transmutation circle and begin the irreversable process?

Time was running out. And he didn't know where Ed was. He didn't even have a starting place.

**

* * *

**

_**To Be Continued...**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning ****

* * *

**_

**Chapter XVI****

* * *

**

_It took Roy Mustang only a matter of three hours to complete his goal._

* * *

_After leaving the library, he meandered down the road a bit. His first thought was to find a place to conduct his transmutation in peace. His second, more pressing thought, was that he had to get as far away from Ed and Havoc as possible in the least amount of time. He couldn't let his friends get involved too._

_He wouldn't let them be taken down with him, or worse, to go down before him. He'd already seen too many truely horrible things. And he had had enough. Enough death, enough pain, enough misery._

_It was time to wipe the slates clean and try again. It was time to pick up the pieces and rebuild the puzzle. And, as he walked, he could feel the time of the great clock towers, slowly coming to a halt and rewinding. There was no way that things would end as they were; it was time to take matters into his own hands and rewrite the story._

_And this time, there'd be no more destruction, and no more pain._

_His feet carried him faster, faster, and now he was practically flying down the streets. His hood flew back, falling to his shoulders and exposing his face, but he neither noticed nor cared. There was no way that he would be stopped now that the gears were set in motion._

_The streets changed quickly, from cobblestone city streets to the more rural area, broken down, decrepit. Yes! Perfect. He slowed, but still maintained a hurried gait. His eyes canned this house, that house, searching for one that mighten't have been used in over a hundred years. What he wanted was a little shack, shut away from humanity, shut away from..._

_His eyes landed on a broken, crumbling old brick house, with a door that barely hung on its hinges, and a paint job that had probably been done by monkies (it looked that bad). Perfect! Clutching the books and materials and his suitcase tight to his chest, he ran for it._

* * *

"Hurry! Ed, we're never going to make it in time!" Havoc panted, his long legs putting him far in front of Ed as they dashed down the streets.

"We don't even know where he went!" Ed said. "Besides, you can't stop the Taisa, you know that!" Ed was breathing heavily, trying his hardest to keep up. He wouldn't let his shortness slow him down, no, not this time. This was too important.

"Then we have to search the entire city, Ed. We have to try! Do you want to lose Taisa too?"

Ed froze suddenly, his body pulling him to a halt in the middle of the road. His hands were clutched tight in fury. Havoc, though he hadn't meant to, had hit a nerve. Ed's head dropped, and it seemed he was attempting to keep himself from either lashing out, or breaking down.

Havoc paused. "Elric?" he asked, turning his head back just a little, and looking at the kid. In his mouth was a cigarette bud, which hung lopsidedly as he spoke.

Ed said quite suddenly, "No." His fists clenched tighter, and he burst out, running forward suddenly, ahead of Havoc. "No. I don't. I won't lose him."

"Hey! Hey kid, wait up!" Havoc said, confused as hell, watching Ed run. He was starting after the chibi alchemist when suddenly his cigarette went out as a tiny droplet of rain fell on it. A small shower began seconds later. "Oh great," Havoc said, "Just what I need."

* * *

Roy Mustang was ready now. He hadskimmed the books. He had duplicated the correct circle. He had used his theorems and his theories. He had collected the nessecary materials from nearby. He was ready.

He took a breath. Time to add a soul. A soul was just information, wasn't it? So, if he had something containing even a drop of Riza Hawkeye's dna, that would work as a soul, would it not?

He reached into his suitcase, withdrawing the one thing he had grabbed from Riza house just as he was leaving: a golden brush. And, of course, there were a few stray strands of the Lieutenant's hair still caught in the bristles of the tiny object: what luck. He pulled one of these free, just one, and fondled it for a moment with his hand.

'Riza...' he thought.

Outside, the lightning cracked in the sky above. How ironic, that it would be the same conditions as the day that he had found Edward and Alphonse. It was as if the Gods knew when the alchemists were toying with them. Oh well, Roy would take his "Divine Punishment" if that's what it took to bring Riza Hawkeye back.

He almost laughed. Here he was, considering the Gods at a time like this, when he didn't even believe in them. It was too late to change that. But...

His hand dropped the strand of golden hair onto the heap of materials, and he smiled. It wasn't too late to change this. He had to hope it wasn't.

He stood back.

It was time.

* * *

Roy's hands came together to form the connected circle of his body, the human ouroburos, and then he suddenly knealt, letting them hit the transmutation circle. His eyes closed, and he gave silent prayer to whatever it was that he believed in. This had to work.

He could feel the energy he was sending in being traded, being given up for something else. Equivalent exchange. That only meant one thing: It was working!

Just as suddenly, however, he felt a horrible sensation: the energy in his body was being drawn out too quickly, and he was starting to feel woozy. It felt like he had lost too much blood, when he knew he wasn't cut. A sharp pain welled up inside of him, and panic suddenly filled his heart.

What's wrong? What was wrong with all this! He had done everything needed, right? So why was this happening now?

He tried to pull away, but he was stuck. A great wind had begun, and lightning cracked so close by, it sounded as if it was inside the very room. The panic, however, was the worst. It kept rising, and rising, like a great wave washing over him.

His eyes opened, and he saw nothing now but a blur of deep blackish-purple light, and the swirling of the vortex that surrounded him, and the crackle of a mysterious light skimming over the materials. He felt his mouth open, his vocal cords vibrate as if he yelled something, but the noise was lost amongst the transmutation.

And all this occurred in a matter of seconds.

It was just when he realized his fate was sealed, when he felt that there was no escape, and the weight of his failure once again came down upon him, that he heard it: the mumbled sound, as if someone was yelling something. He swung his head side to side, wildly, trying to find the person, but it must have been his imagination.

Or so he thought.

The last thing he saw before he fell unconcious was a short, black shadow dive into view, and slam into him so hard that he was thrown across the room, out of the way of the cyclone. And, asRoy hit the ground hard with his head, and felt everything swirl into blackness, he saw the blonde hair and red garments of his savior.

Roy's eyes closed, involuntarily, just as Ed vanished entirely.

_**

* * *

**_

**_To Be Continued...  
(P.S. ShatteredSoulofGlass, keep practicing. You might make a good psychic one day. Although, you weren't quite on target.)_**


	17. Chapter 17

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning ****

* * *

**_

**Chapter XVII******

* * *

_Edward opened his eyes to find that overwhelmingly shining light, and that familiar symbolic door. At first, he blinked, unsure of how he had gotten here. It took a few minutes for it to click that he had reached the Gate, once again. That meant..._

_His head turned in all directions, searching for even a glimpse of the black-haired bishounen of a Taisa. There wasn't even a trace of him anywhere in sight. Could it be that Ed had succeeded? That Roy was all right? That he was on the other side, firmly locked in the world of the living?_

_"He's not here," said a listless voice from behind the chibi. A black, shadowy form materialized almost out of nowhere, its body shaping to look rather like Edward, a spitting image in silhouette. Two things about it were quite noticeable, however: it had a fleshy right arm, and a matching left leg. Ed's very own limbs. _

_This creature was The Truth, guardian of the Gate._

_"He made it then?" Ed asked._

_The other being didn't answer at first, but then seemed to ignore the question as it stated, "The Gate will open for you again. Too bad the toll will have to be higher this time."_

_Ed's shock and fear didn't register in his eyes. Instead, he seemed relieved. He relaxed,and thought to himself, 'Thank God. Taisa, I know you can make it. You can't give up just yet...forgive me.' Still, Ed wasn't ready to die yet either. Nor didhe want Roy to experiment further in transmutation by being forced to do asoul bindingtransmutation just for Ed. (Besides, it didn't look like that sort of thing was possible, with the room they had ben in empty, at least at a glance.)_

_In an attempt to make the Truth reconsider, Ed said, "I don't want to see any of the secrets behind that door. I just want to go back to Mustang."_

_"But what about your brother? The secrets of the Philosophers Stone are in there too, you know."_

_Ed shook his head, though these thoughts didlight thespark of interest in him. He had to remain firm, committed to his decision. Al...Al was his brother, but Roy needed him worse now. And, what had happened to Al was another story all together. Ed didn't even know if he'd be able to do something about his brother anymore. "I just...want to go home.."_

_"Then you refuse to pay the toll?" The Truth was, even though Ed couldn't see an expression on the shadowy face, most definately glaring at him._

_"I don't refuse. Take my other leg, my oother arm. For Christ's sake, take from me what you took from my Master. Take what you will, but send me back," Ed said, as if it were so simple._

_But apparantly, it wasn't. "What if the toll's higher then that? Hm?"_

_"It can't be, can it? There wasn't enough power in one person's transmutation alone to cost an entire life, was there?" Ed said, starting to look a little worried._

_The Truth seemed to be grinning. "Exactly."_

_"What!" Ed took a step back, looking worried. "Th-that's not possible! Just send me back, please, send me back!" He was pelading now, and backing away. "I didn't even go in the Gate this time, and all you took last time-"_

_"I went easy on you," drawled The Truth, walking closer and closer to Ed. _

_Sink or swim. Sooner or later, if he kept backing away and pleading, Ed would get caught. Now it was either take a chance at fighting, or die in flight. The former seemed the most plausible choice. So, Ed too a chance._

_He swung out his automail fist at The Truth, but it went right through the other body. Ed's opponent was grinning now, as it stated, "Can't have that, now can we?" Ed's automail arm immediately dissapeared, as if disintergrating._

_That wasn't good. Now what? He tried to swing his other hand, and then turned and ran. His leg cluncked rather audibly against ground that didn't even seem to be there, and The Truth again grinned cruelly. "Let's see if this'll slow you down!"_

_Ed's leg dissapeared, and he fell face-first down.He barely managed to roll out of the way as the Truth tried to focus on his other limbs, totake them as well. This seemed to makethe hunter even more malicious._

_"Oh, what fun this is. Now I see why a homunculus toys with its prey! Superiority against inferiority. How splendid. And you won't give up easily, will you? Well,"it said, "Now you don't have...a...chance!"_

_Time stood still. Ed couldn't move, frightened and unable to stand, andThe Truth was about to go in for the kill.__He was directly above Ed, and had focused right on the FullMetal's heart. In two seconds or less, it would all be over._

_Except for the fact that Ed had one thing The Truth didn't: instinct._

_He lashed out with his other leg, and knocked The Truth off balance just as the exchange took place and The Truth missed his heart. _

_However, as the world around him began to fade away, and The Truth with it, Ed had the feeling that the toll had, in some way, been paid._

_'What did he take from me?' Ed thought, searching his mind for the answer, but unable to feel his body or move his remaining limbs to look._

_Now,he heardThe Truthscreaming as Ed began to dissapear from this world. What was he saying? The voice of the other being faded from Ed's mind, becoming nothing but a jumble of words, of sounds. He couldn't help but shiver as his vision began to distort, and he began to feel the world going black around him. His body shook with pain, something far worse then when his limbs were taken the last time._

_One last thought hit him, before it was all over._

_'Am I dying?'_

_**

* * *

**_

**_To Be Continued...  
_**


	18. Chapter 18

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning ****

* * *

**_

**Chapter XVIII: Not Over Yet****

* * *

**

_Roy Mustang awoke to the cool, refreshing dripping of the night's silent rain on his face. He felt a dull ache over his entire body, and his head swam as he forced his eyes open and tried to sit up. The colors of the room around him swirled (deep dark colors, almost pure darkness), and he clutched his head, feeling a bump._

_His voice groaned the words, "What the hell happened?", which was followed by a, "Oh God my head..." If he had had some asparin right now..._

_His memory just suddenly blinked in, and in an instant he seemed to recover the last few minutes...or hours...or however the hell long he had been out. Images flashed in his mind's eye: Ed lunging in front of him, into that swirling vortex, and dissapearing just as Roy had hit the ground..._

_"ED!" he cried, standing so quickly that he fell flat over once more, landing sprawled on the ground in pain and shock. His dizziness overwhelmed him, but he wasn't going to wait for everything to settle. He had to find Ed now! His hands searched the floor around him, and he crawled along in the dark, feeling for something, anything, that might give him a clue._

_'Oh Ed, if you're dead...Ed...dammit...you can't do this to me...' His hands searched the ground faster, furiously. Fear made his eyes grow wide, and those same eyes searched in vain for something he could see. But all he saw was the dark night above peaking through the now-torn roof, and the rain falling steadily down._

_A nagging thought hit his mind only seconds before he touched something viable, 'What about Riza?'. Unfortuneately, the thing he touched wasn't Ed. And, in this darkness, he had no idea what it could be. He tried to make a flame, realized he didn't have his gloves on AND it was raining, and decided to leave it for later._

_Well, he would have left it for later, had not two things happened then almost simultaneously:_

_A flame suddenly flickered to life in the far corner of the room, sheltered by a lantern, and held in the grip of some silent figure, who, from his heavy panting, must have just shown up on the scene. However, this person did not draw Mustang's attention immediately. What did was the whatever he had touched, which, at the appearance of the light, gave the most horrifying shriek that Mustang had ever heard._

_His head snapped in the direction of the thing, and his body almost jolted in the other direction when he saw what it was._

_A mass of bones, and blood, of flesh and glowing embers lay before him: the exact thing that he figured Ed must have seen when he had tried to bring back his mother. Only this thing was quickly expanding and retracting: as if it were attempting to move. It's horrid mouth opened and let out another shriek, and Roy felt every muscle in his body flinch. He wanted to scream too, but held it in._

_Across the room, the figure remained silent. It seemed as if this watcher was caught in fear as well._

_The puddle of materials, or whatever it was, gave a sudden, even shriller cry, and reached out what must have been a grotesquely mutated arm to grab Roy. He yelped, and scurried backwards as fast as he could, tears suddenly appearing in his eyes: tears of fear and failure._

_He slammed right into Edward's body: which lay in a rather awkward fetal position on the floor. Roy, turning, caught the sight of the young blonde boy, soaking wet, automail missing entirely: so that his arm and leg were but bloodied stumps once more. His arms, instinctively, fell over Ed, and he tried to shove the monster's cries in the background out of his mind._

_"Ed! Ed! No...Ed, not both of you...Ed...please..." His hands clutched at FullMetal, but it was in vain. There was no breath in the little body, no movement, no heartbeat. Roy's hands moved recklessly, checking again and again for these things, trying to shake life into Ed's body. "DON'T DIE!" he cried._

_And then, almost as if in a dreamlike state, he felt Havoc standing beside him (the silent watcher from before), dropping the lantern gently to the ground, and grabbing a hold of Mustang's hands. "Roy! Keep yourself together!"_

_"He's not breathing! He's not breathing!" cried Roy, hearing the noises from behind him rising to meet the pitch of his own, and letting sudden, more bitter tears spring to his eyes. He was overwhelmed by emotions now: fear and pain for the thing behind him, the result of his transmutation, and also a lonliness and a terror of losing Edward._

_Havoc gripped his shoulders, trying to pull him into submission, but Roy wouldn't have it. He fought, blindly lashing his arms about to throw his friend away, but accidentily ending up droppingEd's limp body back to the ground with a dull thud._

_He stopped as he realized what he had done: but something caught his eye. Ed's frame shook once, quite suddenly, as he hit the ground, and he coughed in a pained manner. He curled up tighter._

_Roy'shands shot to him again, pulling himself down to be gently sheltering Ed's body.He sobbed harder, a tiny smile emerging almost maniacally on his lips. "He's...alive..." he murmured in awe. His shoulders sagged. "Please...please Ed...you can make it..."_

_He felt Havoc's grip, still firm on his shoulders, relax just slightly._

_

* * *

_

_How long they sat there, three rainsoaked comrades, he didn't know. But, after a time, the body behind him finally qwelled its frightening squeals, and Ed's body seemed to begin to regain consciousness. It was silent, save for the rain, and Ed's gentle breathing as he started to wake. His eyes opened, cautiously, and they seemed slightly filmed over, but it was hardly noticable now._

_Roy and Havoc were both sitting by his side, as Ed looked up, slowly, anda look of confusion registered in his face. "Who...who are you? Where am I?" he croaked out, softly._

_"Ed?" Roy whispered. "It's us...it's..."_

_"Who's Ed?" came the chibi's voice, softly._

_Roy's blood froze. Absolutely froze. No...it couldn't be. His face grew grim. "Stop joking."_

_"Joking?" Ed asked. "I...don't get it..."_

_Havoc gasped, realizing, just as Roy had, what had been taken. Royslammed a fist down into the ground, and his scream echoed along the halls,"DAMMIT! STOP TOYING WITH ME!" His words, directed at the heavens, showed his deep anguish._

_Ed's memory was gone. Erased. Entirely._

**_

* * *

_**

**_To Be Continued..._**


	19. Chapter 19

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning ****

* * *

**_

**Chapter XIX******

* * *

An awkward silence descended upon the occupants of the little torn room. It seemed that the mass of...whatever it was...had either died, or just lost the will to keep on screaming as it had been. Roy's body was curled over Ed's, and he had most certainly lost the will to speak. There wasn't anything he could say to this turn of events, nothing that could express his current mood. Jean Havoc merely knelt beside Ed and Roy in a watchful manner.

Ed seemed dazed. His eyes kept going in and out of focus in the dull lantern light, and his body had gone entiely numb. He wasn't even sure he had a body right now, except for the fact that Roy was holding him, and, therefore, his body must be there somewhere. He ached, but he had no clue why. He didn't feel the blood spilling from his automail-missing limbs, and it didn't hurt him. That was probably a good thing.

He waited, letting the rain fall down for a few moments and staring up at it in wonder, before he whispered, "What's going...on? I...I don't..." his eyes narrowed in a way to show he was in deep concentration, confused, and possibly frightened as well. "I don't understand..."

Havoc held up a hand slowly, as if to motion Edward into silence. He inclined his head a little to try and get a look at Mustang's face, which was buried against the FullMetal's chest. "Roy?" he said, gently, "I think it's a good idea to get all of us out of the rain...we...we need to take care of Ed right now...and it's a good idea to find shelter before we all get pnuemonia."

Roy didn't respond.

Havoc sighed, waiting for a response anyway. It wouldn't come, but there wasn't much he could do other then wait...or force it. He didn't want to upset the Taisa any further, so he'd wait.

Ed gave a little whisper, soft, and cold as ice, "I'm cold...please..."

Ed's attempt, mixed with Havocs, arose Roy from his stupor. He looked up into Ed's eyes, but found nothing there, not even the soft recognition, and he felt a tug at his heartstrings again. He bit back the tears.

Ed, just as coldly as before, whispered, "If you're looking for something, you're not going to find it."

Roy sat still, stunned by these harsh words. So not the Edward he knew...but...He was right. They weren't going to recover Ed's memory just sitting in the rain.

He started to rise, trying to prop Ed against himself. Havoc stood to assist, murmuring to the two of them, "Let's go back to Ed's apartment...we can talk there, and it's warm...We'll call that automail girl out here, and fix him up...and we can think of a game plan.."

Roy nodded, dumbfounded. He would have gone along with anything right this second. His leadership skills had just entirely dropped down the drain. He had just discovered that he had no idea how to help Ed right now, nor did he know what was best for him and Havoc. His mind was entirely locked down.

He cast a last glance back into the room as he helped position Ed so that he was being supported by both of the military men. Failure. It was a failure. And with that failure, with the death of his dream to bring back Hawkeye, a little of him had died with it. Soon there'd be nothing left of Roy. Sure, he had never traded anything body-wise...but his heart had taken more and more hits then he could handle. With the way things were going, he'd be naught but an empty shell soon.

He sighed.

"You ready?" Havoc asked, softly.

"Hm?" Roy stated, looking up a bit dazedly. 'oh yeah, let's go.."

* * *

From his spectator outlook, positioned up on the rooftop, a young man watched them leave through the tattered door, and kept his good humor in check until they had dissapeared out of sight down the road. A streak of lightning above pulsed through the sky, lighting up a truely Hellish face of a young teen, with a cruel, carnivorous grin, and serpent-colored locks that hung down in long spikes: the homunculus known as Envy.

He was on hands and feet, crouched over the opening of the roof that peered down into the main room of the wrecked house, where the trio had been only seconds before. And he was laughing now. Laughing hysterically.

He swung down in one fluid motion, landing easily on his feet in the main room, right on top of what HAD been a human transmutation circle. His mouth was agape with his evil, piercing laughter, and he tried to speak, pacing.

"Oh, OH!" he said, between laughs. "This is just tooo good!" He paused, casting a glance over at the unmoving materials in the corner, and smirked. "I came to collect a new homunculus, and here are two birds, killed with one stone!" His eyes narrowed and he glanced at the door, smirking, as he said in a hissing voice, "God does not favor those who go against him, eh little Taisa? Well he must love me! Or is it the devil who grants my wishes?"

He flung his arms out, to encompass the room in his speech, as he said, "Not only have I found you at last, to finish my job, but now I don't have to share my father with that FullMetal pipsqueak, because he won't even remember who the hell our father is! Hohenheim is MINE! And mine alone!" He grinned, laughed again in a mad-genious way, and looked back over at the materials. "And you've given me the ULTIMATE torture device."

He walked over to them now: to the gruesome monstrous being that lay there, in pieces. As he moved, his hand slipped into his shorts, withdrawing a small reddish-colored gem: a true, honest-to-God Philosopher's Stone. Or at least enough of one to make a heap of scrap into a walking doll.

"You want to live?" he jeered at the being on the floor.

It couldn't, or didn't answer.

Envy shrugged. "Father will be proud of me, don't you think? For picking you up?" He dropped the stone carelessly on the pile. "And that poor Colonel has just sentenced himself to more pain. Because..."

He clapped his hands together in trnasmutation, and watched as the materials glittered, a scream emitted from the pile, then it began to reshape. It grew...larger, and larger...and suddenly it began to take the form of a living human. Ashen white hands and arms formed, and long legs. From the head came two defined eyes, a mouth. Long golden hair dropped down to the being's shoulders, no farther, and it's shoulders were petite, but strong. Its body took on a woman's form, and Envy smirked. It was rather akin to watching a barbie doll being made, he figured.

The light began to dissapear as its work finished, and then, the eyes opened, and blinked. Two light, icy blue eyes, that seemed to glare at him.

He smirked. "Just as I figured. Here," he tossed a pair of clothes to her, and she caught them and donned them quickly, efficiently.

Envy now grinned, as he took in the figure before him. "Perfect."

Riza Hawkeye stood before him, staring at him in a manner that seemed to be passive. And yet, it was not her. It was identical to her, oh yes, but this being was a homunculus. A homunculus that could be manipulated. A homunculus, that, like a playtoy for him, would follow Envy's commands.

It was the perfect weapon to finish the Colonel.

And he was dying to test her out.

**

* * *

**

_**To Be Continued...**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning ****

* * *

**_

**Chapter XX****

* * *

**

Roy was too depressed to say anything, and Ed was far too confused, so Havoc was left on his own to try and shepard the two in the right direction. Considering the fact that he was the only one of the three who had no idea where Ed's house was (he hadn't been paying attention when he had gone to get Ed, a factor he was starting to regret), and considering the fact that they kept making wrong turns, the walk back took far longer then it should have.

The entire time, Roy walked with his head down, rainwater dripping from his bangs, his eyes watching the ground below him, thinking. Edward could barely limp along beside them, because of the fact that he still had no idea how to use his numb and weakened remaining limbs. Havoc tried to light a cigarette, one-handedly, but it was raining, so of course his attempt failed.

* * *

Quite some time later, they managed to reach Ed's apartment, and Havoc got Ed to his bed immediately. He complained, gently, to Roy that if the Taisa had only helped, they would have made it back much-

There was a loud thump behind him; Ed had entirely passed out on the bed.

Jean sighed, and stated, "I'll get the bandages." He left the room, and Roy found himself not bothering to set up the little folding chair that Ed had used not so long ago to keep vigil over him; he just sat down on the bed, not speaking, not moving.

It was only a few seconds before Havoc returned, and he made a mental note to himself that this was most definately the gloomiest room in the whole house. He shook his head, maintained that sighing too much was bad for him, and kept quiet as he walked over with the bandages.

He was just about to start bandaging Edward-kun up, when Mustang whispered, softly, gesturing for the bandages, "Please...I'll do it.."

Havoc blinked, nodded, and handed the bandages over.

Roy turned to Edward, but spoke to Havoc still, "Please...go call that automail girl...FullMetal has her phone number by the phone, I'm sure...we need her out here as soon as possible...please explain the situation...tell her I'll pay for the trip..." He motioned for Jean to leave.

Havoc merely nodded again, and left, closing the door softly behind him.

Roy turned to Edward, his vision starting to swim again, dizzy. Okay, so maybe it wasn't a great idea to leave him in charge of bandages. But he wanted to do something for Ed, and he knew, without a doubt, he wouldn't be able to hold a phone conversation right this second. So..

* * *

****

Roy's workmenship was shoddy, but it was the best he could do, and it had at least stopped Ed's bleeding for now.

That left them to make a game plan. Well, actually, it left Havoc to force them to make one. Roy still seemed depressed; Ed seemed a bit suspiscious of both the others and decided it best to keep to himself.

Therefore, Havoc was still in charge.

"C'mon you two, you've been through worse; BOTH of you. We've got to decide what we're going to do," he said, attempting the optimistic.

"We already have something to do," grumbled Roy. His fist clutched at ther bedsheets, and he spoke through gritted teeth.

"Oh?" havoc asked, having popped a cigarette in his mouth and lit it.

"We're going after the Philosopher's Stone."

"MUSTANG!" groaned Havoc. "Are you just looking to get killed? Wake up, it's a war out there over that thing, and you want US to get involved? There's three of us againstsix entire armies. This is...it's suicide!"

"Philosopher's stone? War?" Ed said, softly. "Someone...what's going on?"

Havoc sighed. Right, fill in the gaps. He started to drone about who Ed was, and who Roy was, and soon he had started into such a long lecture that he could have written a biography on the little chibi alchemist, though he had never been too close to Ed. He just knew the rumors, all of which appeared true because Roy didn't correct him. or, if they weren't true, Havoc had just totally messed up Ed's memory by feeding him some bullshit story about his brother and his career and the stone.

As he reached the end, he stated, "There's a war going on right now for that stone. Word got leaked about it, and now we've got the armies of Lior, the State, the East, the Ishbalans (or what's left of them), the Homunculus, and the Mercenaries..."

Ed's eyes had been focused on mustang for the last five minutes. He had taken in every movement the Colonel made: clutching the sheet tighter, until his hands had turned white, then turning away, holding back tears. Ed didn't know if he was listening to Havoc, and something had hit a nerve, but that was probably the cause. In a sympathetic voice, he whispered to Taisa, "And you're suggesting we go find this stone?"

Roy whispered back, choking practically on his words, "If we could just get one stone...you could fix your leg and arm, and your memory. You could bring back your brother's body...if you tried...and...and maybe it could work on.."

"On Riza?" whispered Ed.

Roy didn't respond.

This left Edward to ponder these thoughts for a time. Havoc was looking thoughtfully at him, Ed noticed, and Roy wasn't speaking at all. The man seemed so down...Ed couldn't shake the thought that what they said was true: he had forgotten the two of them, somehow...oh, he wished he could remember the Taisa. What kind of man had Edward thought he was? What kind of memories had they made and he had lost?

He longed to reach a hand out and to place it on Roy's shoulder, and tell him, that no matter what, things would be okay. They weren't dead...yet.

"I think...that's the only choice we have."

"Edward!" Havoc said. "It's a fool's mission! The stone...it isn't some end-of-all-questions! It's not some sort of god...it's..."

"The only chance we've got," Roy said.

Ed nodded, and opened his mouth to say something else, but he didn't get the chance.

* * *

The window across the room shattered entirely, and a huge gust of wind blew in, blowing out all the candles. Glass flew everywhere. Roy had only the time to dive backward and shield Ed as best as he could as little pinpricks of the window embedded themselves in his back and shoulders. Havoc hit the ground, and winced as a few stray shards hit him too.

"What the hell?" he groaned, moving to his feet.

"Good evening ladies!" came a voice from outside, from the tree directly outside the window, and the branch directly level with the window. Two bright eyes shone menacingly as the figure lept, landing on the floor in front of them all; barefoot on the glass shards, and uncaring about this fact.

Roy turned, snarled, "YOU!"

"Good to see you haven't forgotten me, eh, LITTLE Colonel?" Envy smirked. "You've been a naughty, naughty boy, you know that?"

Every hair on Roy's body was standing up. He moved to stand beside the bed, and his fists balled. Oh, revenge...yes, yes, that was the only thing he could think of right now: Kill him. Kill this bastard. Kill him.

Envy shook his head. "You're outmatched, you poor little son of a bitch," he paused here and turned his head to the window, "Greed!"

Roy paused, giving a sort of "what-the?" look, his teeth gnashing against each other, they were clenched so tight.

Envy turned back to Roy, and, in a chit-chatty manner, stated, "You see, we had to name it after one of the seven sins, and, well, since Greed got," he motioned a cut-throat motion and stated, "dead, there was kinda only one choice."

Riza stepped in through the window, dressed of coruse in her military outfit that Envy had thrown at her. Her shocking blue eyes registered first on Roy, then Ed, Havoc, and then back to Roy. Havoc gasped in the background, but she didn't seem to care. She stared directly at Roy, wordlessly.

Roy's lips parted, and one word escaped, in an awed, frightened, but giddy sort of tone: "Riza!"

**

* * *

**

_**To Be Continued...**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning **__****_

* * *

**Chapter XXI******

* * *

"Riza!" Roy exclaimed, and started forward towards her. He was taken off-guard, then, as she suddenly shot out an arm, which seemed to grow in length, and its hand mutated into a claw, which slashed his straight across the chest, cutting through his bandages, and sending him hurtling back, slamming into the wall.

Breathing hard, he looked up from his seat on the floor, blinking, his hand grasping for his chest. "What-the?"

"Ah, ah, ah, you poor little man," Envy said, waving a finger in a taunting manner. "Never underestimate..." his voice dropped, hissing, "a homunculus!"

Roy's eyes opened wide, and fear penetrated his gaze. "No! It can't be!"

"Wanna bet?" Envy asked, looking back at Riza, who had regained her composure and seemed human once again. He smirked, snapped his fingers, and stated to Roy, "Sorry, buddy, you struck out."

Riza jumped forward at Roy, and he barely managed to roll out of the way. She turned, and lunged again, and this time she had him in her grasp. Her hands locked with his, and they wrestled across the floor for several minutes.

"Riz-Greed, whatever the hell you are, I don't want to fight you..." groaned Roy, attemtping to flip her over, to gain the upper hand. However, her hands mutated once more to claws, digging deep into his hands, and she slammed him back against the ground.

Roy glanced about as he grappled with her, for some sort of weapon or something he could use to fight back. His gloves? No, those were locked away, and he wouldn't make use of them anyways. It didn't help that, with the lights out, visibility in the room was near to nothing, and he couldn't even see Ed or Havoc.

He was distracted, a rule he had forgotten was something crucial in this moment: NEVER get distracted. Greed took this chance to grab his neck in her clawed hand, and she regained her feet, holding him high, and giving his a dead-cold glare.

Roy stuggled vainly, trying to get loose, but his vision was swimming again and his head hurt. He couldn't see straight, and he could feel his neck being crushed, his breath leaving him.

"You die now," she said, simply, and the words stung. She not only looked like Riza, but she sounded exactly alike too. He tried to cry out, but couldn't, and he felt her grip growing tighter and...

BANG! A gunshot echoed through the room, and it apparantly hit her shoulder, or something of the like, because she was jolted backwards...just enough to knock her against the windows' edge and into the darkness of the night.

Roy's body dropped, and he put his feet out, trying to stand up straight, to get his bearings, but Envy must have tackled him, because he felt something knock his feet out from under him, and then he was falling...And it wouldn't have been so bad, except that Greed didn't want to end it yet. Her arm shot through the window, growing longer...and longer...and it gripped his leg just as he fell.

* * *

The next thing Roy Mustang knew, he was being slammed against the cold, wet ground outside under the tree, and every breath in his body was being pushed out of him. A heavy weight moved from beside him to on top of him, and the claws gripped his neck again. He choked, sputtered, but wasn't giving up yet. His leg lashed out and kicked her once, twice, and then she flew backwards, off of him.

He staggered to his feet, clumsy, and hardly able to tell if his limbs were moving as he told them to with his mind. He was dizzy, and wanted only to lie down. But he couldn't. He had to fight her. And where was Envy? He looked around. Great. Just great. The other homunculus was still up in Ed's apartment.

* * *

Envy snarled, glaring straight at Jean Havoc and the rather bulky shotgun that the officer was toting. "Oh...so you want some too?" he said. "You Military dogs are all fools. You...MUST DIE!" he leapt in a cat-like manner at Jean, who smirked.

His hand held the gun up and he fired. But the shot seemed to go right through the homunculus, and it didn't even phase Envy, who now had Jean pinned down.

"That little...trick...worked on my subordinate, but it doesn't work on me!" He said, then smiled, his body turning to look like Roy Mustang himself in but a second, his cold obsidian eyes locked on Jean's. He held up a gloved hand, and smirked. "Ready to die?"

"Not-yet!" came a voice from beside the two, and suddenly a hand was swung out blindly from the darkness. Havoc ducked it, but it slammed straight into Envy's face, knocking him backwards towards the window.

Blood dripped down the homunculus's mouth as he landed, changing back to normal, on all fours. He frowned. "Who?"

Ed smiled. "You forgot there was another person in here, genious," he stated from his spot on the bed. His arm was still straight out, and he couldn't help but give an arrogant smirk as he slowly lowered it.

"Oh..." Envy snarled, "My bedridden half-brother...your are going to die first...and your death will be...so...sweet.." His body was shaking with anger, and there was a spark in his eyes of malicious intent. He was about to start an attack, when suddenly bullets started to fly in all directions from Havoc's side of the room.

The deadly firing came all-too-close to hitting Envy. His eyes sparked with a dark realization. This wasn't the best time to fight, after all, he ahd only come to test his weapon. And she worked brilliantly. It was time to go. But, he had to leave a goodbye present.

He jumped out of the window, and onto the tree, ducking low. In his haste, he threw a single, little black container back into the room.

"Greed! It's time to go!" he called.

* * *

"I don't want to fight you," Roy said, breathing hard, advancing on Greed/Riza.

"You don't have a choice," was her reply. Angrily, she held up both clawed hands, and was about a second close to making an attempt to rip his head off when suddenly, there was movement up in the trees, and she heard the voice of the other homunculus: "Greed! It's time to go!"

She looked back at Roy, and her hands immediately changed back to normal with a little electric spark. "You were lucky," she said. From her back, almost as if by magic, huge wings grew out. The fabric of the back of the uniform was ripped, and there were two, bloodied, chimera-esque wings. Her feet changed to claws, and she lunged up into the air in a fluid movement.

Envy jumped high into the air, and she snatched him up in one clawed foot, flying off into the rain.

The wind howled. Roy looked up at the window of the apartment. It took a few seconds for it to register in his mind that Envy had just left the room with Jean and ed...and...

"ED! HAVOC!" he cried, moving at once for the stairs. But...he was stopped.

* * *

"Ed...what's that?" havoc asked, pointing at the little black container that Envy had left them. His hand dropped the shotgun...and...he reached for it, but that's when it happened.

The little box came to life, flashing a tiny red light, and making a soft, "Beep...beep...beep" sound. Two tiny letters appeared on it's side, and Havoc froze. "30...29..."

"A timer?" Ed asked.

Havoc's entire body was jolted quite suddenly, and he shot to his feet, reaching out for Ed. "We've got to get out of here!"

"Why?" Ed asked in simplistic curiousity.

"It's a bomb!" Havoc said, halfway to the door, with Ed hanging haphazardly in his arms.

* * *

"BOOM!" The entire building, right there in front of Roy, dissapeared in a wall of flames and echoing explosion.

**

* * *

**

_**To Be Continued...**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning **__****_

* * *

**Chapter XXII******

* * *

"ED!" Roy's voice echoed, almost meaninglessly in the background of the explosion. His legs could hardly move as he watched the entire building before him crumbling into ashes. The third floor, where Ed and Havoc had been, was nothing now but a pile of soot that floated down on the breeze.

His legs collapsed out from under him, and Roy murmured, softly, "It's...gone...they're..." He gasped, choking on the smoke and ash, and managed now only a hoarse whisper, "They're gone..."

He cried out, quite suddenly, slamming his fists against the ground (a stupid thing to do, really, seeing as how his chest was still badly injured, as were his hands, his neck, and pretty much every part of his body), clenching his teeth in raw anger and pain. Tears streamed down his eyes, and he cried their names over and over. "ED! HAVOC!"

In minutes, he had entirely broken down. His legs would not permit him to search for the missing two, and his calls recieved no answer. It didn't seem to help that most of the neighboring places in the area were apparantly turning a blind eye to this incident: no one came outside. No one seemed to care.

And here the rain was getting worse.

* * *

How could he not help but think he was dreaming when voice cried out from a little ways away, in a gentle voice, "Hey, Taisa! What are you doing crying over there?"

He looked up, his eyes red and pained with tears, as he whispered, "H-havoc?", looking to a rather dirty figure, covered in a smatter of black dust and blood, and carrying a similar figure in his arms. Ed. They both looked a complete mess, but, Roy couldn't complain. They were here, and that was all that mattered.

"I'm...I'm not dreaming..." he stated, standing slowly as Havoc approached, reaching a hand out to feel along Havoc's good, human arm, and then to make sure that Ed was still alive (he was, but he was unconcious).

Havoc laughed. "If you are, I am too."

Roy shook his head. "But the blast?"

Leaning now against Roy for a bit of support, Havoc mumbled, "Yeah, thank God I know how to run for my life...pity though..."

"What?"

Havoc smirked in a demonic way. "My cigarettes went up in smoke."

Roy shook his head, so relieved now, that he joked softly, "Guess you'll have to quite smoking?"

"No way."

There was a bit of silence, and then Ed grunted, incomprehensibly, and Roy reached out to take him in his own arms. Havoc cautioned him to watch it; he wasn't in the best of shape after falling from three stories. Roy said he'd be fine. He'd lived through worse, hadn't he?

* * *

Havoc brushed himself off. "So what now, Taisa?"

"Stop calling me that," Roy whispered. What time was it? Well past midnight, he knew that much, and the rain still wasn't letting up. He shivered, soaked to the bone. But, it wasn't such a bad thing. After all, it was washing away all the dirt and soot from them all, and it had qwelled the last flames of the explosion long ago. "I'm not your leader anymore, Havoc. Stop calling me like I am."

Havoc looked down. "You know, the funny thing is that I had no intention of getting caught up in all this, Mustang."

"Had? You should have kept that intention. What good does it do you to get yourself killed along with me and FullMetal?" Roy muttered, angrily.

"But then I saw something, Mustang."

"Hm? Nani?" Roy asked, softly, turning to look at havoc, who wouldn't look at him.

"We need you Roy. Without you, I'm just a bookkeeper, and Ed's...well, he's just a hunk of flesh and iron to tell you the truth. Without you, he'd have truely nothing. The same goes for me. And, admit it, without us, you don't have anything do you?"

Roy dropped his head, looking at Ed's angelic face, deep in sleep in his arms. "Yes," he whispered, after a time. "Yes."

"Then let's stop trying to get more, and focus on what we have. I have you, and you're still my Taisa." He smirked now, turning his face up to look at Roy, as Roy turned to look at him. Their eyes met.

"You're a miracle, Mustang. I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth."

Roy felt the words sink deep, deep inside himself, and then gave a slight nodd. His obsidian eyes hardened almost instantly, as if something had clicked. He might not be a military man, but he was still one at heart and he still had a job to do. A sarcastic smirk crept over his face.

"Well, Lieutenant Havoc, we can't stand out in the rain all night can we? Not with these injuries. We need to secure a safe resting place, another apartment of a sort, and get ourselves healed up. Tomorrow," he stated, watching as Havoc practically beamed at him, "we have a mission to accomplish."

Havoc smirked. 'There's the Taisa I know. I knew he was there somewhere,' he thought.He saluted, formally, and stated, "Hai! Taisa!"

**

* * *

**

_**To Be Continued...**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning **__****_

* * *

**Chapter XXIII******

* * *

Roy collapsed, Ed still in his arms, on the little futon in the middle of the white-walled, otherwise empty room. He sighed, exhaustedly, and didn't even wait up for Havoc as he started making both himself and Ed comfortable on the little thing.

When Jean did walk in, Roy heard, faintly, his voice droning, "Lucky for us that this place was for rent immediately, eh, Taisa?" he asked. "Taisa?"

"Impfh here," Roy muttered, face-down on the bed, with a rather contented look on his face. It was good to not have to lug Ed around, and even better to be lying down. That, and his relief was flooding through him in a manner he felt that he would metaphorically drown in it.

Jean walked in, and immediately gave one of those "oh great" looks. "Mustang, did you ever stop to think that you need a SHOWER before making the one bed we were alloted SOAKING wet and totally dirty?"

"Nope, not a minute," Roy replied, sarcastic. Ed groaned beside him, in unison. This led Roy to roll over and remind Havoc, in a rather emotionless tone, that he was beat, bloody, and most likely would fall asleep if he actually made it to the shower in the first place.

Havoc sighed, plopping down beside Roy. "Well, we do need to get cleaned up.."

"Can't it wait until the sun rises at least?"

"Mustang..."

"You first," Roy stated.

"Even if you ARE the Taisa, you're going in first. Otherwise, you'll fall asleep, and I'll have to haul you in there by myself. And you know that's not going to happen."

* * *

Havoc ended up having to haul Roy Mustang in there anyway, because, trying or not, he managed to collapse halfway there. He smirked as Jean leaned over, righted him, and supported him into the little bathroom, which, Jean himself complained, was no larger than a cubicle.

Roy told him it was the best they had for now, and, if he insisted on a shower, then he'd have to deal with it.

After that, Roy Mustang slowly began to remove the tattered remains of his shirt, reaching a hand top unsteadily turn on the water in the shower. His voice echoed off the tile walls of the grungy bathroom, and his words to havoc were direct orders: "We need first aid."

"I have someone I know who could bring us some, if you don't mind. I don't think any of us is gonna make it to the store at this time of night," he said. "And this personI know is pretty trustworthy, so far as I can tell, though I've only met with her a few times."

Roy nodded. "That'll do...Please, contact her immediately. I'll be out in a few minutes. Don't lay a hand on Ed until I get out. he's pretty badly banged up, we shouldn't injure him more."

The afterthought struck Havoc as a bit strange: Don't touch Edward. He knew the real reason, however, was that Roy wanted to bandage up his friend. Though for what purpose, Jean didn't know. Therefore, he nodded, and left the room.

Roy stepped into the shower, after barely managing to escape his pants, almost tripping and falling face-first into the tub. He shook himself off, as the first jet of semi-warm water hit him. It stung, painfully, on his open wounds, and he would have cried out. But, he was trying to be a good Taisa. It was time to put on an act.

It was time to become the old Mustang again, for a time.

* * *

When he had finished, it was apparant that the "messenger" Havoc had asked to come, had already dropped by. bandages, and all the first-aid possible for someone to get at this time of night, were piled up on the floor, and Havoc had just finished bandaging up a small cut on his shoulder. He reported to roy, rather smugly, that the worst of his damages was a little slice along his shoulderblade: nothing much.

Then it was into the shower with Jean, while Roy was to attempt to clean up Ed.

First off, he had to get FullMetal out of SOME of the dirtied clothes that clung to his limp form. Of course, said clothes had been clean, and freshly put on, just before the explosion. But now the black pants, and the loose-fitting white shirt (One of Roy's; he had made Ed wear it so it wouldn't be so tight against the boy's bandages), were soiled and covered in ash.

So he stripped Ed (Keep your sick minds in check, people) down to his boxers, and dug through the materials nearby: gause, bandages, cottenballs, medicine; and found himself a damp rag, which he figured would have to do for now. He wiped away at the boy's face, and his arms, and his body, trying to get him decently clean. This worked. Somewhat.

He decided that perfection was not the goal right now, and continued on to clean a few stray wounds here and there, and rebandage the stumps where Ed's limbs would be.

"Oh Ed..." he muttered, softly, as he finally managed to finish, and to clean off the already messy futon, and was now laying his comrade against the pillows they had been alloted. His hand moved to the boy's head, and he brushed the golden locks out of his face. Ed slept, soundlessly, no clear expression on his face.

"You're still so young...I'm sorry. I'm sorry I got you in this mess. All of this mess. It's..." Mustang's voice grew quiet, and he whispered quietly, sadly, as his head moved to rest against Ed's chest, and his legs curled up under his frame, "It's all my fault."

* * *

Roy was aware, sometime not too long after he had lain down beside Ed, of two clumsy, yet caring hands attempting to apply bandages to his chest and his back. Mustang wasn't in quite the position for this to be an easy job, but Havoc must have decided not to wake him.

He turned his head a little, and saw, of course, the man sitting there beside him. "You bandaged him up, but forgot yourself Taisa. You're pretty beat up too, you know," he paused here, and, as Roy started to sit up, he muttered, "Don't move, this is a hard enough job as it is."

He let his head fall back against the FullMetal's chest, and closed his eyes, not speaking for a while. The only sounds in the room was the rain pitter-pattering on the windowsill, and the steady grunts of Havoc as he attemped to finish the job he had begun. After a time, he seemed done, and sat back, with a little, "Well, it'll at least keep you from bleeding to death."

Roy smirked, almost half-heartedly. His eyes were forlorn again, as he opened them, and whispered, "You're getting in too deep, Havoc. Soon you won't be able to get out."

Havoc shook his head, lighting up a cigarette (he claimed that his frined brought them with the supplies). "I've been in too deep from the start, Mustang. And...who says I couldn't use to find the stone.." his hand slowly moved up, so that he held it up to the little light that remained in the room (a single candle was lit), and it gleamed in this light, a bright metallic color. "...too, eh, Mustang?"

Roy's breath caught. "A-automail?" he asked, awed.

**

* * *

**

_**To Be Continued...**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning **__ **

* * *

** _

**Chapter XXIV**

**

* * *

**

Havoc smirked, darkly, in a rueful, bitter manner, as he held his automail arm so that Roy could see it. As if to prove that it was no illusion, he flexed his metallic fingers, back and forth, back and forth.

"A-automail?" gasped Roy.

"Yeah," said Havoc, his tone taking on the same bitterness as his appearance. He seemed to be thoughtful for a moment, as he took his hand and ran it back through his hair (a trait Roy usually saw in Ed), and puffed once on his cagarette.

Fretful, Roy managed to murmur, "How...how'd it happen?" But he already had a good clue as to what happened. So when Havoc stated it, flat out, it was simply proof.

"Lost it in the war. And half.." he replied, slowly, as his hand moved to pull away the towel he had wrapped around himself in place of a shirt. "of my chest as well." To about the middle of his chest, from his neck down to right above his stomach, was entirely automail.

"Wh-WHAT!" Roy said, sitting up a little too quickly, and wincing in pain. "How? What happened?"

Havoc looked down, and puffed on his cigarette again. He let silence fall between them, uneasy, for a few moments, before whispering to Mustang, "I was looking...for you..."

Roy's body started to creep with that fearful sensation, and the impending observation that it was most likely his fault what had happened, wasn't it? That's how things seemed to be lately.

"It was during the war, a few days in..."

* * *

Havoc, remembered, during the war he had been seperated from his unit. Most of them, he had figured, were killed in bomb droppings or something of the sort. A lot of skilled alchemists were involved in this war, and Jean was definately sure he wasn't going to last long on his own. So, who would he turn to? Well, seeing as how the others he knew wouldn't be much help, he had decided Roy Mustang himself was the safest bet.

That, and he had to make sure the Taisa was safe.

He snuck through dark alleyways, and tried to keep out of the open. His body moved with lightning speed, and he knew, deep down, this speed was either attributed to the fact that he had a mission to accomplish...or to the fact that he was playing the coward. There wasn't anyone to hide behind, out here on his own.

That's when he saw it. Coming upon a break in the buildings, the ending of his alleyway, he saw the mountain of bodies, the palm-tree homunculus, and Roy. And Riza.

And he watched, as the events pre-described by Roy took place, but he was unable to do anything about it. His feet were frozen to the spot, and his body was paralyzed by fear. Leave it up to a subordinate to be unable to do a single thing when his Taisa needed him. However, as he watched Roy being hauled off, knocked unconcious only seconds before, and as the creature carrying him transmuted into King Bradley, Havoc had no choice.

He wasn't going to leave the Colonel behind. He couldn't. So, his body bolted into action, running straight (as he would say was a stupid move later, when it was too late), straight towards the imposter Bradley and Taisa, yelling at them.

This wasn't one of those, "I'll sneak up behind him" attempts, this was classic jean Havoc distraction techniques: arms waving, feet pounding as he ran as fast as he could, crying out curse words, Taisa's name, and the like. Although, he told Roy, even if the Colonel had been awake, Mustang wouldn't have heard him.

Envy heard him, alright, and turned, slowly...His face transmuted back into it's regular, homunculus form, and he smirked. That's when, as Havoc stated, he knew his fate was sealed. That, and the fact that he could no longer have heard his own voice over the sudden explosion.

The sound came seconds before the actual explosion: a deafening roar, all too much like the bomb that had taken out their apartment. Then came the flash, and the smell of gunpowder...

...and the next thing he knew, Jean Havoc was wavering between consciousness, and there was a doctor above him, speaking rapidly to another to fetch some automail mechanic of some sort, and make it quick.

Envy was nowhere in sight. And Roy had vanished.

* * *

"I guess I ran out a little too far into the open, eh, Mustang?" he asked, smiling a little. "I shouldn't have been so rash...and the doctors, they said I was going to die. Shows how wrong.." he paused, slowing his words down, noting the particular look on Roy's face.

Roy seemed to be biting back tears for the hundreth time that day, and his fist was clenched. Havoc now heard, from him, "Everyone...all those people close to me...it's always my fault...mine!" His head was turned away, staring down. His voice became a sharp hiss, and he shot a glare at Havoc. "How am I supposed to be in charge if it's all my fault!"

The word "fault" seemed to be the correct thing to wake, or at least demute an unconcious alchemist, because Ed chose this exact time to interlude with, "It is not!"

Roy turned the glare on Ed, who hushed for but a moment. When the Taisa turned away, Ed said, slightly angry, and quite a bit woozy, just realizing he wasn't in the other apartment (ah, how many times was he going to wake up and realized the whole world had skipped a beat in his absence?), "Every time something happens to one of us, you blame yourself. Well, don't. The whole world's not on your shoulders alone."

Scornfully, he seemed to calm a bit, as he continued, "I haven't been around you for long, at least in my current state of mind, and yet I've already realized that you can't take this. Unless you're in charge, and making sure YOU protect everyone, you lose it. Stop. I know myself...at least, well, somewhat...and I've seen a bit of how you and Jean act...and I know, for a fact, that whatever we do, we're going to do it because we want to. There's no guilt in there that it's YOUR fault. It's our own fault. Do you," he paused, taking a little breath. He was about to say "understand?" but was stopped by a rather odd action from Roy Mustang.

The Taisa's body slowly bent over, and he curled up, against Edward. His hands clutched the boy's slim body, trying so very hard not to injure him, his head resting against Ed's shoulder. He didn't speak, didn't cry. He was merely silent. And his body remained entirely tense until Ed's hands slipped around his waist, and drew him to lie against him, comforting.

"It's alright, Mustang..." Ed whispered. He certainly understood. All of this was too much on Roy; he just wanted the comfort of someone near him, and, Ed supposed, he had decided that the FullMetal Alchemist was the one.

Havoc stood up again, and started to towel-dry his hair. "Well, I'll be in the other room. Looks like you need some time alone.." He paused at the doorway, and turned back momentarily. "Oh, and, Mustang.."

Roy didn't look up, but he was listening.

"Ed's right. I tried to help...because I wanted to. And this arm?" he asked, holding it up just once more. "It's nothing. You give up a lot of things, chasing a dream." He dropped the cigarette almost carelessly to the ground, snuffing it out, then left the room.

* * *

And Ed and Roy were alone. The winds outside howled; and the time for revelation was beginning.

_**

* * *

** _

_**To Be Continued...**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning **__**

* * *

** _

**Chapter XXV**

**

* * *

**

"Mustang?" Ed whispered to his friend, after the silence had settled well in over them. For the first time, he realized how pathetic it was to have just one arm, and he almost could have laughed at the stupidity of this sudden realization.

Roy groaned, in a toneless manner, "Go to sleep, Ed."

"Not until you talk to me. You've been too quiet since Havoc left the room," he looked up, trying to see Roy's face under the shaggy mop of black hair that hung down over Roy's eyes. He had the feeling that he knew this man better then he thought, but, of course, he couldn't remember anything. It was like having to learn how to ride a bike all over again: you have the feeling you've done it before, but you have no idea how, and you get this odd, deja vu feeling.

Roy didn't respond.

"I-I'm sorry," Ed stated, softly, caring. "I didn't mean to upset you...it's just..."

"I'm glad you yelled at me, Ed," Roy cut in, his voice still emotionless, but, as he slowly moved his head up to look into Ed's eyes, his own were soft, tender almost. "I...don't know what i was thinking...It.."

Ed moved his hand from its position wrapped around Roy's waist, and carefully brushed the hair from Taisa's eyes. The gesture didn't take but a moment, but it seemed to cause a delay in Roy's speaking. He seemed thoughtful.

When his voice came back to him, he continued, "It just seems, I don't know. It's like every time there's someone I care about, they end up hurt, or dead, and it's always because of something to do with me, Ed. Always." He closed his eyes, and it seemed he was holding back tears once more. His voice now seemed urgent, as he said, "I'm supposed to be heartless, the cruel Taisa that the military is proud to have...but, how can I keep all of these emotions inside of me...when all this keeps happ-"

"I'm glad you don't keep it all inside, Taisa," Ed said, blinking up with huge catlike eyes. "If you didn't cry sometimes, if you didn't shed a single tear like a normal human...I'm sure it would all build up...and someday...well, you know.."

"Yes..." Roy said, thinking this over. Then he said, "But, Ed...why? Why do they all die before me? Why is it that I'm always the reason why they get hurt? Why do they go to such lengths to.."

"What? Protect you?" Ed said, moving his hand now to cup the Taisa's face in it as he spoke. His words were soft, and there was a companionship between them now, deep, longing, in just those few moments. "I wish I had friends like that. To know that all those people, the ones you say died for nothing, or were injured on your part...to know that that many people actually cared enough about me to risk their lives to protect me...You're one lucky guy."

"You have me," Roy interjected, quite suddenly, the words coming, seemingly from out of nowhere, and catching Ed off-gaurd.

Edward Elric blinked, then a smile crept across his boyish face. "That I do, Mustang...that I do." His hand moved now to pull Roy closer to him, and it was the Taisa's turn to be caught unaware. The intimacy between him and Edward was now starting, at last, to show. He couldn't help but wonder if these feelings, the ones he now felt creeping through him like poison in his veins, had always been there. And had Ed always felt it? Or was it because he had no memory not to know?

He snuggled his head against Ed's shoulder, and his tears slowly subsided.

"What do I do now?" Roy asked, softly. "The stone...we're supposed to go find it...but...how?" His words were caught in his throat, and he felt smothered in Ed's grip. His body tingled, not unpleasantly.

Ed whispered back a small phrase that Roy caught onto immediately, and he wondered how the boy knew it. Was it a lingering reminder that Ed was not entirely gone? That he still had a few bits of his old self in him? Just like Roy had a little of himself, even in this pain? "You have two perfectly good legs, Taisa. Use them. Set up a home here, even if you think all is lost. Get information, equipment, find a stone. Then...go after it with all your might. Just like Havoc...follow your dream. having two legs you don't put to use is a stupid thing, after all."

Roy fell to tears again, at Ed's words. It wasn't the fact that they were sorrowful, not in the least! It was just that Roy Mustang had never felt such a fool! Here he was, unable to pull away from the comfort he had so wished for, and a young boy was telling him something that he should have known. Where had his leadership gone? His plans? Had he been such a fool that he would give up, without even trying? He sobbed, softly, and Ed held him.

And through his tears, Roy whispered, "How can you do this? How can you...even begin to think, FullMetal, that I..." he couldn't even finish the sentence.

Ed shook his head, and rested it against Roy's shoulder in return. "I can't shake this feeling...that I have something for you...that I feel...like I...love you, or something. Is this love? I might kiss you, Roy Mustang, but I wouldn't upset you anymore for the world. I hate the fact that my optimism is hurting you...and I hate the fact that I can't tell whats real from what's not...my memory...I wish I had it. I wish I could tell the truth from the lies. Is that all it is, Roy?"

Roy didn't respond.

"Am I merely fabricating lies to suit myself in the absence of my memory?"

Again, Roy was silent. His heart ached, positively, with Ed's words. Oh yes, how he longed for that affection the boy felt now to be true. He wanted...No, lies. He was fabricating them for himself, wasn't he? In Riza's stead, he would take Ed, and not even realize what he was doing. He turned his head away, ashamed, and, slowly, he moved himself so that he was now laying beside Ed, curled up on the futon.

Roy's hand sought to find his jacket, thrown haphazard on the floor. When he had successfully located it, he broguth it up and covered Ed with it, much as he would use a blanket to do. He paused, with his head right next to Ed's, their eyes meeting one last time that night. Both would see a mirror of their own in the others: pure confusion, and misplaced affection.

That's most like why Roy couldn't resist. He dropped his head low, and stole a soft, quick kiss.

Ed gave him a look as he pulled away, akin to a longing sort of stare, the stare that would say, 'That was it?', but yet, it was clear that the young blonde boy had no idea what to say, or feel.

"Ed," Roy whispered, bitter, as he curled up and closed his eyes to sleep, exhausted. "Think about it before you fall in too deep. Is this the path you've chosen? And you know, by your path, I am not speaking of the search for the Philosopher's stone."

Ed nodded. Roy wanted an answer from him. He wanted to know if Ed was going to deem this affection between them true. Or just an illusion. Just a wall Edward Elric had thrown up to protect the fact that he needed someone now. His answer came, simply, "I will. I'll think about it."

Roy, satisfied, replied, "Get some sleep, Ed. We have a long day tomorrow."

* * *

Havoc had made it only a few feet into the hallway, when, quite unbeknownst to the others, he had curled up and fallen asleep. He figured to let them do whatever they needed to do. The two in the other room didn't need a fifth wheel. However...

However, in terms of this war they were planning, he was going to risk it all for his own dream. He was going to do what needed to be done. Whether they needed him or not.

He swore it. His sacrifices would be worth the gain.

_**

* * *

** _

_**To Be Continued...**_


	26. Chapter 26

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning **__**

* * *

** _

**Chapter XXVI**

**

* * *

**

Havoc was the first of the trio to wake up the next morning. And what a rude awakening it was! The sunlight was pouring in the window across the hallway, and his back ached, sore from his sleeping on the cold hard floor. He blinked in the blinding light, and moaned softly as he sat up, trying to stretch himself out. In return for this move, he heard a loud CRACK, the sound that usually occurs when one's back pops suddenly back in place.

"Ow…" he moaned. "Next time….next time, Ed and Roy are gonna sleep on the floor if they want some time alone.."

He decided that, perhaps, he'd return the rude awakening to the other two. At least to Mustang. He didn't want Ed to have to be part of his revenge.

* * *

Roy was awakened, rudely as well, by a pair of pants landing directly on his face, and a pair of boots soaring over his head, just barely missing his face. He sat up, almost too quickly, and snapped his head in the direction of the attack, only to find that his enemy was none other than Jean Havoc.

"Havoc?" he asked, confused. "What are you doing? Trying to kill me?"

"Kindly, Mustang, get dressed. It's about time that we actually started doing something," Havoc stated, holding up a pair of binoculars. "Unless you and the FullMetal pip-squeak need a little more alone time, eh?"

Roy opened his mouth to speak, and thought better of it. Resignedly, he tossed on the pair of pants, noticing only after he had put them on that they were military. The boots were also of the same type. And the shirt that he was thrown after getting these garments on looked akin to his old uniform. "Havoc?" he asked, pointing out the clothing choice.

"It'll be easier."

"Easier how? The people in this city HATE the military, or haven't you noticed? I see that you're wearing normal clothes," he pointed to havoc's black shirt, and blue jeans.

"Who said you were staying in this city? There's a carriage outside, with a driver who's a friend of mine, who's going to take you to Central. You can pick up some new materials from the bank there, I know you have hidden accounts as other people just in case something like, oh, say, your being exiled, were to happen. And while you're at it, we do need to furnish this place a bit, don't you think? If it's going to be our command center after all."

"WHO is the Taisa here?" Roy asked, indignant.

"You, but I was up first. And the way you've been moping about, I figured it'd be best if I came up with something to keep you busy. Now, I did get you a cape of course to hide your face….oh, and make sure to stop by the Central Library and say hello to my friend Sheska for me…" he passed a note to Roy, who, without reading it, stuck it in his pocket. "She's the little mousy brown-haired one. She doesn't work there, but everyone knows her, so she'll be easy to find. We could also use a few alchemical books, don't you think?"

Roy nodded. "And you and Ed?"

"From the window in this room, we can see where the old apartment was. I gave the automail chick Ed's address and how to get there last night, so that's where she'll be headed. I'll watch over Ed, and wait for her…" he held up a pair of binoculars.

Roy smirked. "And here I had always thought you were a follower, Havoc. You've got a good head on your shoulders. You could have been Taisa in my absence.."

"Noo thanks," Havoc said, lighting up his, what seemed like, 100th cigarette. "Watching after you and Ed is far more interesting, and, albeit, a safer job then trying to pull myself up in the military. I'm through with them."

And with that, Roy Mustang was ushered out the door, and into the waiting carriage. With a contented heart, putting out the questions he had for Edward from his mind for a time, Roy Mustang was ready to face the day. He'd get done these few chores, and be back in no time. And by then, he'd have a decent plan. And they'd be ready to get this little war over with.

A new day, a new hope.

"Thanks Havoc," he said, to the closed door that faded from view behind him, as the carriage started to pull away. "I owe you one."

* * *

Meanwhile, Havoc was waiting at the window in the room above. He sighed, puffing once on the cigarette, watching as the carriage rolled away. It was going to be a boring wait. He should've bought some coffee. Or something of the sort.

He leaned against the wall, sighing once more, heavily. Then, he realized he wasn't alone in the room anymore. The sleeping figure across the room was no longer sleeping. Instead, two bright golden eyes were fixed on him, and Havoc found himself looking directly at a wide-awake Edward Elric.

The first one to speak was Ed, of course, who immediately cut to the chase. Even without a mind to remember that he was a stubborn, impatient boy, it seemed that FullMetal wanted answers, and would have them now. "What do you think of Mustang?"

Havoc blinked at the strangeness of the question, the randomness of it. "Come again?"

"Mustang. What do you think about him? Do…you think he's a good friend…or what?" he winced on the word do, which caused him to pause. His good arm went to where the stump of his right arm was, and he held it, as if in pain. But he seemed to get it under control quickly enough.

Havoc shook his head, and smiled a little. He couldn't help it. Had this been the old Ed, he wouldn't be asking for nice thoughts of Roy; he'd be trying to find something to destroy the Taisa's reputation. Wasn't that what they both did? Him and Roy always seemed to be playing cat and mouse. He'd never seen them friendly before. "Friend? Kid, that guy's more then a friend. If it weren't for him, I probably would have been dead a loooong time ago! Or at least missing a few more limbs."

Ed blinked.

"You see, the Taisa I knew before this whole incident…" havoc seemed serious now, as his eyes narrowed in concentration. "He had a heart just as cold as those obsidian eyes of his. And yet, he always took care of us."

"Us?"

"The other officers and me. Breda, Fury, Falman, Hughes, Hawkeye…" He seemed downcast for a moment as he continued with, "I guess we all looked up to him. There was no better man in the military. You see, you always used to complain to us that he was just tugging your chain, just seeing if you'd bark and wag on command like a good dog of the military…You don't remember, but he was always getting on you to do this or that thing….and you always used to say it was because he wanted to move up in ranks in the military. That was true, but he was also trying to protect you."

Ed was silent. He looked down.

"Hawkeye once told me that he would speak kindly of you only to her, and her alone. He didn't want anyone else to see him going soft. She said he was always worried you'd get yourself killed, or that you'd get into a huge mess if he didn't stay on top of you. And I think…I think that's true…because I always saw it in his eyes, even if he didn't try to show it. Behind those cold eyes, he was a kind man." When Havoc had finished, he looked back out the window in a sort of dazed manner. His eyes were on the apartment that had been torched, but his mind was off in the clouds somewhere.

Ed asked, softly, "And what of him now?"

"I wouldn't know. I'm just going to protect him. And I think, the difference between the him of now, and the one of then….is that now, the only thing he wants to do is protect us. And if he fails, it's going to kill him. We're all each other's got; you, me, and him. We've got to stick together. From now on, we can't do anything to pull us apart."

Ed blinked, and looked up, suddenly. "I've heard those words before…" The silhouette of a young boy came to his mind, but, it was hidden. The face was obscured. He couldn't place it. Blondish brown hair…but the eyes and the features of the face were hidden.

"Oh?"

"N-nevermind…" Ed said, as the face began to fade. He strained his eyes, as if to see it, but knew it was one of those memories that was just hanging out of his grasp. He'd have to work hard, and get the Philosopher's Stone. He had to clear his mind of these horrid, taunting memories. "Thanks…Havoc.."

Havoc, however, had his attention caught on the building, and his voice replied, immediately, "Hey, Ed, I think it's time for your appointment." His eyes caught on a young blond girl outside, and, sure enough, he heard the yelling (She was now screaming something of the equivalent, "Oh Ed, if you got yourself killed…I am so gonna hate you for the rest of your life! Or…afterlife…or…whatever!)only seconds after he saw the face. He shivered. Women.

"Nani?" Ed blinked.

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_**To Be Continued...**_


	27. Chapter 27

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning **__**

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**Chapter XXVII**

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Ed knew, instinctively, although he couldn't even have remembered Winry Rockbell, that he was going to get hit.

It was probably this way because of the fact that, as she reached the threshold of his room, he heard a loud clamoring noise, and the toolkit in her hand was dropped to the floor. He saw the hands clench into fists, and he saw the girl's face go deep red. He flinched, as if to cower from her, but wasn't expecting it when he caught the faint silvery glimmer of a tear rolling down her cheek.

She wailed his name suddenly, and ran towards him, diving down and flinging her arms around him, not even noticing as he shivered with the pain of crushing arms wrapped around his injured body. He winced, and tried his best to keep sitting up, somewhat shocked. Was this a past girlfriend or something? Maybe she was just an old friend. He hoped. She seemed to know him.

He shivered. 'What if she's my wife? Oh, I wish I could remember...'

He shook his head. "I'm...I'm sorry, Miss...?"

She sobbed harder and Ed suddenly gave a tiny rolls of his eyes, he mouth slacking into a look of, "Oh no." Okay, so maybe she hadn't hit him, but it was almost just as bad, right? He didn't need someone hanging off him, hysterical. Oh please don't let her be romantically involved with him. Pretty please?

The gods must have heard his prayers, because Havoc appeared at the door, almost like magic, and stateds casually to Winry, 'Ahem." This was responded to by her looking up slowly, and giving a confused look. Havoc continued, "Miss Winry, as you can see, FullMetal's in a bit of a fix...and we'd need him patched together again within the next few days..." Basically, the equivalent of, "Stop your whining and get to work."

The little blonde, Ed's own age he figured, rubbed at her eyes with her arm, and sniffled. Her long blonde hair fell like liquid sunshine over her shoulders, and her sparkling, naive eyes looked up at the man. She nodded, trying to regain her feet, but unable to make it up on her own. He, being the gentleman, came over to help her, but was immediately shoved away as soon as he had.

Standing now, Ed couldn't help but note the small changes, and wonder if this girl was bipolar. Or just crazy. Her hands clenched again, and she blinked through tears, turning her back on Ed, and commencing to throw the other man out of the room.

"Out! Out, I have work to do!" She reached down, grabbed her toolbox, and picked it up, pulling out a wrench, and waving it menacingly.

Havoc backed towards the door, and weighed his options. Be clubbed to death to hang in here for no apparant reason, or go stand in the other room, smoke, and be absolutely fine, save the impending thought of lung cancer. The cancer sounded better then the wrench, and he made a hasty retreat.

Ed didn't complain, though he almost wanted to call Jean back in. Instead, he merely looked up at Winry, thinking, 'I'm still gonna get hit.'

* * *

"Ed! What WERE you doing? What the hell happened to my good automail parts? You've COMPLETELY ripped them off!" She was right in his face now, wagging a finger at him and delivering a diatribe that he would, frankly, rather not put up with. But he would have to. He racked his brain, trying to catch hints of how Edward Elric would act in this situation. He came up empty.

So, he stammered, "I-I.." He paused, and coughed once into his fleshy hand, before stating, "It was a trans-" He paused immediately as he started to say it, noting the look on her face change grave. Instead, he said, quickly, "It was business."

"You were trying human transmutation again, weren't you?" she accused.

"No. Not me. Mustang."

"Mustang?"

"A..." he sought the right word. "A friend of mine."

This wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear either, because she swung her arm instantaneously, and beamed him upside the head with the wrench, knocking him over. He blinked, and tried to get the stars to fade from his eyes as he muttered, "Hey...that...that hurts...what did you do that for?"

She was looking strangely at him, and it seemed she was chancing something now, as she said, "You deserved it, shorty."

"I guess I did," he said, calmly sitting back up. "But it still hurts."

The wrench clattered to the floor, and he sheepishly, but concernedly, found his eyes moving up to catch the wide-eyed, frightened look in her face. "Who are you?"

"What do..what do you mean? I'm me."

"Ed never would have let me call him shorty!" she shot back. Her hand searched blindly for the wrench, as she kept her eyes on him. The were dark, scared, confused. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH EDWARD!"

He shivered, and his head dropped down. Apparantly, no one had told her yet? What was HE supposed to say? 'Yeah, I don't remember who you are or why you're hugging me or hitting me or things cuz I lost my mind, literally'? Somehow, he didn't think that would work.

Thank the heavens, once more, that he was saved by havoc's entrance again. Ed figured after this, he'd have to take up religion. But for now, deal with the situation at hand.

Winry looked like she was going to beam him again, but as she raised her hand to clobber him, Havoc came up behind her and grabbed her arm, practically shouting over all her clamourous yelling, "NO! NO! NO!" There was a bit of a struggle, and his voice rose as he said, "You've got it all wrong! That IS Ed! Would you-" Havoc ducked a blow, and tried to restrain her, exhaustedly muttering, "Would you...hey! Just listen a second, okay?"

She fell still in his grasp, and looked straight at Edward again. "How can you be Ed, if you can't even remember anything? Do you even know who I am?"

"I..." Ed said slowly. "I don't know who you are..." he admitted. "I lost my memory."

"You...what?" Winry asked, confused.

"He's got amnesia, and he can't remember anything, okay?" Havoc asked. He sighed. "There, okay? Now, don't kill him. If you do, Taisa'll kick my ass for it. We just need him fixed up, and then you can go on your way."

"Insensitive jerk!" Winry said, in a preppy voice. Her foot lifted, and came down hard on his, and Jean gave a little yelp, falling back and letting go of her. She turned on her heels and looked down at him. "He's MY friend, and you think I'm going to just walk out of here without doing something about his memory. Think again, buddy!"

She turned back to Edward, and her face was now a mixture of despair, kindness, and still a bit of fluster. "As for you, Ed...Let's see what we can do about those limbs of yours. No one makes parts better then me, remember? Actually," she looked foolish. "I guess you don't...Although, this time, you better not break the parts okay?" She set her tools down next to him, and said, "I'll outfit you for the parts today, and measure you, and then I'll make them. It's going to take a few days, though."

Ed nodded, blankly. "Thanks Miss-"

"Winry."

"Thank you, Winry."

Winry paused, turning her head down. The words, though he had said them, she knew meant nothing. In his eyes, it was clear that her name was naught but a name; it had no meaning, no link to the precious times they had shared. It nearly broke her heart. And yet she was still angry at him for getting in this state. She shook her head. Forget that. This would be a big job, and Pinako wasn't here to help, so she'd have to work hard.

'I'm going to help you, Ed,' she thought. 'I don't want to be forgotten.'

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_**To Be Continued...**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning **__**

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**Chapter XXVIII**

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_The door to the apartment was flung open at relatively around the same time that the sun had begun to set in the western sky. The coming night tinged the skies a deep purple color, and there was no artificial light in the little apartment, as the orange beams of the fading sun flooded the main hallway._

_A silhouette of a young man stood at the door, breathing hard, one hand clutching his chest, his eyes casting furiously about. Havoc, from a position seated on the floor, lept to his feet as he recognized the figure before him. "Mustang!" He made a move forward, but Roy shoved him aside, and ran past._

_Winry stood outside of Ed's room, and as Roy attempted to get past her, she moved in front of the door. She, unable to know who this man was, gripped her wrench tightly in her hand. "Hey, buddy, you can't go in there! Ed's-"_

_"Let him by!" Havoc said, curious, but concerned, from the main room. Winry blinked, but obliged, moving aside just as Roy's hand was thrust forward, gripped the knob, and practically threw the door open with his full force._

_He took a step in, fearing what he might find..._

_"Taisa?" Ed whispered, blinking as if confused. He had been lying in the bed, but now it seemed he was attempting to get up, slowly, awkwardly, with his one arm. He winced, as it hurt him, but managed a smile and a small, "Welcome back."_

_Roy was frozen to the spot for a moment, a look of sudden, utter relief spreading across his face._

_"Something wrong?" Ed asked. He looked mighty worried._

_Roy's feet moved before he had realized it, now, and he found himself sitting next to Ed, arms flung about the boy's neck, face nuzzling into Edo-kun's chest, and a gracious smile spreading across his cold features. "Ed...you're...safe...Oh, I was so worried..."_

_Outside the door, Havoc and Winry peered in the room, exchanging rather confused, left-out looks._

_It was Ed, however, and neither of the two, who asked the question on everyone's minds: "What the hell happened, Mustang?"_

* * *

"I know where the Philosopher's Stone is..." Roy whispered.

"What?" chimed in Havoc and Ed at the same time. Jean made a move to come a little closer, hardly able to hear Roy's quiet words, muffled by FullMetal's chest, and intrigued now. His eyes lit up, and a hand went instinctively to Mustang's shoulder.

"Where?" Jean muttered, his voice husky, intense.

"We don't...we...there's no way we can get one."

"What? Why not?" Ed asked.

"THEY have it, Ed...the homunculus..." Roy whispered the words bitterly, as if they stung him. In truth they did. It stung to have found his answer, but have no means of getting it. If the stories were true, as Envy had said, there were seven homunculus: one for each of the seven sins. It was impossible for three wounded alchemists to go up against seven immortal monsters.

"The homunculus?" Ed asked, his eyes sort of widening a little, his pupils seeming to shrink as he felt a wave of nausea-inducing fear.

"It's the core of their bodies. Without it, they can't live...it's like a beating heart inside them...it's what keeps them human...and it's not entirely complete. It's...it's more finished then the ones Marco made...but not entirely perfect," Roy said. "But I bet it could work for the purposes that we need it for immediately: a arm, leg, and memory for you...and for Havoc, an arm."

"So we'd have to kill one of them, and get out of their den alive. Because we can't possibly lure them out here. That Envy one is too rotten...I don't think we'd beat him up here...but...we might have a worse chance fighting them on their ground..." Havoc stated, weighing his options.

"It's suicide..." Roy said, defeatedly, turning his head from Ed, to regard the covers beneath him.

"Sounds fun," Ed said, slowly, after much thought. "I'm in."

"Edward!" Roy said, flustered, shooting FullMetal a look of utter suprise.

"I don't have much else to lose. Do you guys? Admit it...we've got to give it a try. Wasn't that our promise?" Edward said, slowly, making sure to speak clearly. "And besides...I want my memories. I don't want...to...I don't want to be around you guys, and have no idea who you are. I don't want innocent people, old friends...like.." he looked to the doorway, but Winry had obviously left the boys to their own devices, because she wasn't watching them anymore. Ed's lips curved into a frown, but he continued, "Anyone like Winry...to have to suffer me not knowing them."

He looked to the other two. "Roy, how did you find these things out?"

* * *

"I was gathering up all the stuff that Havoc told me, and...that's when it happened! They were parading down one of the back streets of this very town when I was on my way back in the carriage. There were five of them, if I do believe...Envy, and that one woman, Lust, the fat one, as well as a smaller child, and Ri-" he stopped himself, correcting, "Greed."

"I told the driver to stop, and I ran out to spy on them a bit. I overheard them speaking..." He seemed thoughtful. "They were quite loud, and it wasn't hard at all to hear their conversation. They were speaking of how they must find true Philosopher's Stones, instead of the wannabe ones that they have, that way they can be...entirely human? I believe that's what they were after.."

"But then..." he seemed to fall into flashback...

* * *

"Oh dear, Envy, it seems we have an uninvited guest," Lust droned, casting a bored glance back in Roy's direction. he was well-hidden, she couldn't have seen him, so he was suprised she knew he was there.

Envy smirked. "Oh?"

"Can I eat him?"

"No, Gluttony," Lust replied. "His punishment is reserved for Envy...for now...but I will take him if you mess up, Envy."

Roy noted a sudden spark in Greed's eyes, a sympathetic sort of interest maybe, as she inclined her head back, and, from her side, the little child clutched at her hand, and cast a devilish look. They both seemed to be waiting for Envy's decision.

Envy himself smirked. "He'll leave soon enough." He waved a hand, and turned to keep walking. "After all, if he leaves my cute little half brother, Edo-kun? I do believe, for too long...I might not be able to resist the temptation to go fuck with him and his comrades for a while. I can raise quite a bit of hell in just a short time frame."

Roy's eyes widened. ED!

Envy grinned."Then again," he said, "The former Taisa never knew to quit when he was ahead."

* * *

"He didn't hurt you, did he Ed?" Roy asked, checking Edward, with worry. he noted that, in place of a stump of an arm and a stump of a leg, the boy had metal bases, where the automail limbs would go once they were made.

Ed shook his head. "He wasn't here."

"Damn that liar!"

Ed laughed, softly. "I'm glad..." he whispered, and Roy caught a sudden hesitation from the boy that wasn't any emotion particularly.

Roy turned his head to see Ed's eyes clearly fading, and his body now felt limp as Roy still held him in an embrace. "Ed!" he muttered, urgent.

"...you were...worried..." Ed's voice faded, and he fell, his eyes closed, against Roy.

"ED!"

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**To Be Continued...**


	29. Chapter 29

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning **__**

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**Chapter XXIX**

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___"ED!" Roy said, his body lurching forward almost instinctively, stopped only by a hand on his shoulder that held him back. He whirled on Havoc, that calm, firm grip that kept him from losing in to another bout of weak crying and fighting._

___"Relax, Mustang. He just fainted. You have to remember that those metal bases that his friend put on him are probably pretty painful. He'll be fine."_

___Roy let his shoulders droop, and seemed to relax a little. He waited until Havoc had figured he was calm enough, had let go of his shoulder, and then, his hand moved to Ed's heart. He felt a gentle pulse, and confirmed the fact that the boy had simply fainted. _

___With a soft sigh, the Taisa let himself seem just the least bit more relaxed. He didn't look over at Havoc; rather, he averted his gaze so as not to seem so foolish. His voice came calmly, assuredly, "Sorry. I just...don't want to lose him."_

___Havoc grinned a little from behind the cigarette stub that had popped, seemingly magically, out of nowhere and was now held between his teeth. "Yeah, I know. I know."_

_There was silence for a few minutes; both of them seemed to be waiting for the sunlight to fade from the room entirely, and for the darkness to descend. Roy wouldn't admit it, but Havoc knew he was still worried that Envy might come for Ed. _

_After a while, Havoc was suprised to hear a timid, yet oddly cold voice coming from Roy. "Could you..."_

_He needn't say any more; Havoc understood. He nodded, and stood up, stretching for but a moment before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

* * *

_

"So, that's it, isn't it?" Winry asked from across the room as Havoc walked out into the hallway and shut the door. The girl's head was tilted downward, as if she dared not make eye contact with the man.

"You all are just going to head off into another hellish war...and Ed's going to get killed this time, isn't he?" Her hands worked quickly, but efficiently, on a large lump of steel (automail), screwing in bolts and nuts and tightening them down, working them in. She seemed to be choking back the tears that fought to escape her.

"We're not going there to die, even if we do go," Havoc stated, walking over, seating himself on the floor a safe distance from her. "We're going to get back our-"

"That's what he said too!" Winry snaqpped.

Havoc shut up now, giving her space in the quiet of the darkened room. She was working by candlelight, but had now seemed to stop, her hands clutching the steel so hard that it might break. Her eyes squinted together, tears forming, and her shoulders shook in a rage that was by now familiar to Havoc. He waited for her to continue.

"That's what Ed always said!" She snapped at him, brushing away her tears with her knuckles, resolved not to cry in front of some guy she barely knew. "That's what he said when he went to bring back his mom...and to find the Philosopher's stone...but what good does it do him? The more he says it, the more he loses! I can't...I can't take it anymore! I don't want him to be hurt again!" Her fist hit the floor with a loud thud.

It was a short time now before Havoc decided to chance it. The voice of reason, he reached a hand out and placed it on her shoulder, scooting just a bit closer. "Hey, don't count that kid out yet...You've got to believe that all his losses are going to amount to something. And we've got the Colonel...we can't possibly turn back now-"

She did the most unusual thing now, something that stopped her mid-sentence, and caused his voice to freeze up in his throat. Winry Rockbell gently laid her head against his chest, and sobbed.

* * *

"You're awake," Roy's voice flitted to Ed's ears, and the boy winced like a soundwave had hit him. His head spun, careening wildly without direction. he forced his eyes to open, to regard the Taisa, to acknowledge him, but was in turn unsettled by the look in Roy's eyes.

"That man's eyes used to be as cold as his heart," Havoc had said, Ed believed. Now, he couldn't help but realize that this was true.

"Roy?" he muttered.

Mustang smirked a little, turning slowly to look Ed full-on, and he spoke in a controlled, yet rather...sarcastic? manner, "Ed, I just realized something.."

"Yes?"

"We...we're not going to make it, unless we give it our all. Unless we became what we once were. Do you at least remember that we were Dogs of the Military? We weren't all bark and no bite, you know. We each had something to fight for, and we gave it our all."

Ed couldn't remember, but he wouldn't break this info to Roy, so he just listened reservedly.

"I'm done whining about what I've lost. It's suicide, but we're going to try anyways, aren't we?" His eyes blazed now, and that very small smirk on his face spread. "Say goodbye to the new Roy Mustang. The old one is back. I'm done dwelling on the bad, lets look at the good shall we?"

"The good?"

"I can take up an alias, and still become in control of the military, and make all female officers wear miniskirts!" Roy bluffed, his voice only softly serious. "And-I can help you get your arm and leg back."

Ed nodded. "There's still a will; there's still a way."

Roy nodded, but his smirk had toned down, and it seemed bitter, saddened. This was the point in the silence where both men were measuring each other up; noting that this courageousness was just an act they were putting on. Ed was pretending to be proud to give Roy courage; Roy in turn was pretending to be strong, carefree, to make it seem like they had a chance.

Both knew otherwise.

Ed touched but lightly on the Colonel the words, "You know...we aren't alone in this. Forget the military...you have one already that you're in charge of."

"Really, now?" Roy gave a blank expression of confusion. "And what army is that?"

"Well...you must know SOMEONE who's still alive...and Havoc knows some people...I..."

"Ed?" Roy gave him a, "you're-not-thinking-what-I-think-you're-thinking" look.

Ed paused a moment, and looked down. He looked embaressed, and almost troubled. When he spoke, his voice was par whisper. "Winry...wants to help too. She wants to fight...alongside us..."

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**_To Be Continued..._**


	30. Chapter 30

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning **__**

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**Chapter XXX**

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_Roy paced the room back and forth, back and forth now, one hand massaging his temple, the other waving about ecstatically. "Ed, no, you didn't," he said, a diatribe of sorts. "You didn't tell that girl that she could fight too. Ed, come ON! We can't get them all involved in this. I'm not going to-"_

_Ed's voice rose, but only slightly, to break Roy's concentration, and give show that he had something to say as well. "Mustang, think about it. There are seven homunculi, you said that yourself. There's three of us. If we got some help-"_

_"And what if those people get hurt, FullMetal, did you think about that?" Roy stopped, whirling to face Ed with a cold fury._

_The boy's head locked eyes with Roy, and he stated something right then and there that even Mustang couldn't call a falsehood. He said, "Then they do. It's THEIR choice if they help us, but, Roy, think...they can choose to help us if they want, and God knows we need it."_

_"God hates us. Don't talk of him like some good friend, Ed."_

_"You're right. He does. But our friends don't. And I think they can help," Ed was giving him the "drop-it-here" look, and Roy couldn't help but seem defeated now._

_Reluctantly, Roy shook his head, and sat down beside Ed once more. "Elric...we..." he paused. "We can't drag them down with us..."_

_"It's their choice, Roy. Theirs. Stop blaming yourself," Ed said, reaching out as if to touch the Taisa as he sat. Roy flinched, moved aside. Ed gave a dejected look, like a puppy who had failed to please his master. But his eyes still held resolve. He wasn't going to let Roy just head into suicide; he was going to help them get the best chance he could. And he was serious. He told Roy this, but the man scoffed._

_Ed'sseriousness eluded Mustang, and infuriated the boy himself that he would not be taken seriously. Seeking a way to prove himself, he ran a little mental check to see what he could remember, what would get through to Roy. Hmm...hadn't Roy...ah, yes, that was it._

_"Mustang.."Ed said, as seriously as he could._

_The other man lifted his head slowly to look at Ed, and mumbled a "Hm?" only to be suddenly taken in a liplock, feeling the boy's rough kiss, and the fleshy, warm arm that was wrapping itself around him, pulling him in closer. Roy struggled to pull away, alarmed, but he had to admit that there was something about this gesture..._

_As for Edward, hewas both delighted and worried as the body he held slowly gave in, the tense muscles in Taisa's strong chest relaxing as Ed pulled him closer, the man's arms wrapping around him in turn. This was an unexpected twist, and, though he knew Roy caught the serious intent in Ed, Edward also knew that Roy would want an explanation._

_Still, he decided to tempt fate, to savor the moment, at least for as long as it would last. He kissed the Colonel's lips with an abandon, and felt, as if it were more instinctual then anything else, his tongue slipping inside the other man's mouth, and Mustangs' body becoming rigid in response, before falling against Ed. It was at this point that Elric decided to end the little scene. He didn't entirely say that he liked this feeling, feeling that he had control over Roy. He didn't know it, but the old him would have reveled in this fact; but the new him hated it._

_He carefully removed his tongue from Roy's mouth, kissing him gently on already sore lips before finally pulling away. He waited then for a response, and was rewarded by Mustang slumping to the bed, propped up now by the few pillows they had. His eyes looked dully up at Ed, clearing as the boy watched. "You really are serious..."_

_"I told you I was," Ed whispered, still a bit shocked with himself to resorting to something Roy might have done. Now he merely had to convince himself he had done the right thing._

_Roy smiled softly, and his eyes closed. "Okay, Ed...okay, I believe you..."_

_Ed smiled. "Then they can help?"_

_"Anyone we know...we'll gather them all...first thing tomorrow...we'll see how many we can find. We won't go down...not without a fight. This...will be the last war. The war to end all wars," he smirked. "Those homunculi won't know what hit them."_

_Ed grinned. "Thanks, Roy."_

_"No, Ed, thank you. That...was amazing."_

_Ed blushed a little, averting his gaze. "I...uh...I'm still thinking you know...about.."_

_"Don't explain yourself to me, Ed. I believe you. I know," Mustang opened his eyes to regard Ed once more. He wondered if the old Ed had been a step ahead of him too. Well, might as well try to recover a little pride. He patted the bed next to himself, a way of showing Ed that he wanted the young boy next to him._

_Ed smiled, and was happy to oblige.

* * *

_

"It's quiet now," Havoc whispered to the girl that still clung tightly to him, sniffling away the last of her tears from time to time. Ah, when was the last time he had felt a woman's touch? Wait, no, wrong. Wrong. This was a GIRL he was talking about. AT LEAST ten years younger then him. He shivered a little. His mind told him, flat out: "Havoc. You pervert."

She didn't answer.

"Hey, are you still awake? Are you okay?" Havoc asked.

Still, no response.

He started to stand, but was stopped by a soft, barely audible, "I'm fine." His body settled again, and he resolved not to move just yet. He wasn't going to admit it to anyone, but he did actually...kinda...like this. He could pass it off as sympathy. He hoped.

That was when there was a loud knock at the door, and his feet seemed to move from under him without warning. Suprised, he found himself standing now, hands up defensively, and the girl dumped rather unceremonially on the floor. It took her a minute to realize what had happened, but, when she did, she had a wrench in her hand faster then a person could blink, and she was now standing as if to clobber him.

"WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR YOU JERK!" she snapped.

"It-wasn't...the door!" he pointed. "The door rang, so don't go...psycho...on me!"

She cocked her head a little, giving a rather confused, questioning look. Apparantly, she hadn't heard the knock. Then came a shrug from her, and she advanced forward towards the door.

Now, usually, Havoc would have shoved her back and told her this was "dangerous" and that "he should go first". Then again, this was an extraordinary situation, and, he figured that a wrench-toting time-bomb was better suited for this then a sleazy bum who'd worn the same shirt for three days because all his other clothes had blown up.

She opened the door and...

"Sheska!" Havoc said, suprised. "You came, after all!" He took a step forward, and noted her condition: she looked a bit unkempt (par usual, seeing as how she could easily find any book you wanted to read (or write whatever the book, as well) but she was never able to find a good hairbrush), and a bit tired. Her breathing was heavy, like she'd been running.

Winry took a step back. "You know each other?" She gave a rather downcast look; Havoc didn't notice.

"Yeah, we're friends. Sheska's...well, she actually sort of took care of me for a while back there."

The girl at the door smiled, adjusted her glasses. "I actually managed to get here...sorry..." she gave an apologetic look, which suddenly led to a series of quick bows. "I didn't mean to...I mean...I...there was a...and then.."

Havoc shook his head, and laughed softly. "Well, come in. You can explain it to us, after we get you inside. Sorry, it's not much of a home...we kind of just bought the place. Why didn't you come with Roy?"

"Long story.." said the girl, and she smiled. "So, what do you need me for, Lieutenant?" She saluted him, and gave a little sheepish smile. "I'm glad...that i can be of service to someone...I mean.." She looked down, and Havoc noted that amidst her babbling, the girl really was quite glad to see him.

Winry looked lost, giving them both a confused look.

"Don't worry," Havoc said. "I'll explain everything."

_**

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**_To Be Continued..._**


	31. Chapter 31: Relationships

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning **__**

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** _

**Chapter XXXI: Relationships are Finally Sprouting, In The Most Unlikeliest of Places**

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**

_"Tea?" Havoc suggested, offering rather cold glasses to the two women, who were both seated cross-legged on the floor in contemplation. It wasn't much to offer, seeing as how, if Roy had actually bought anything for them, it hadn't arrived yet. The sun had well past set, and now all that remained in the room was a single candle, and the automail supplies of the younger woman._

_He passed the cups to the two, who took them, Sheska gratefully, Winry with a sort of refined indifference, then sat down in an angle so that the three odies formed a triangle shape of sorts. "So, Sheska," he said, pausing and withdrawing one of the few cigarettes he had left, lighting it, and taking a quick puff, "what happened? I thought I sent Roy to bring you along with him? That note.."_

_"I recieved the note, and, yes, he let me pack up a few things and he took me along in the carriage..." she said, nodding, and then added, "But we were on the way back, and I guess something outside caught his attention. He got out, and...well, he didn't tell me to stay in the carriage...and...there was a.." she scratched her head, looking quite embarressed. "A book sale, and I wanted to see, so I got out...And, well," she shrugged, "when I came back, the carriage was gone."_

_Havoc smacked himself in the head with his palm. Roy, you idiot._

_"Lucky for me that the tracks of the carriage were fresh, and, well I read a book like that once. A mystery. So, I knew that if I followed them, I'd figure out where you went. The carriage was still outside when I found this place, and the driver pointed me to the right room...sorry...I'm a bit late, aren't I?"_

_"Not too," Havoc smiled. "I'm just happy you managed to come at all." He cast a glance over at Winry, hearing a metallic clinking. She had apparantly grown tired of the conversation, and, with a dejected look spreading across her features, she had gone back to work in the waning light._

_"Are you okay?" he asked her, a sympathetic look coming to his face. He hadn't meant to leave her out, and, Havoc was too much the good guy not to seem apologetic over something like this._

_"Fine, fine," she answered. In an attempt to feign disinterest, she added quickly, "I need to get these parts done for Ed, ASAP."_

_Sheska's turn to look confused. Havoc sighed, softly, then explained the situation to the girl, who adjusted her glasses occassionally, and nodded with intrigue. "I see," she said, as he finished. There was a moment of quiet appraisal for the story, before she stated, with a rather sheepish grin, "That would make a GREAT book, you know."_

_"Nani?" Havoc cast her a, "what-the-hell?" look._

_But she was off in babble land, which soon lead to her own conversation with no one in particular about the merits of this or that book, and had she read something or the other recently. Havoc turned away from this, to watch Winry. How skillful the teens hands seemed, flying over the mechanics with a certain degree of casualty that showed him she was quite used to this. He wondered how hands who had worked metal for so long could still be so soft when they had touched him._

_He blushed, and looked away._

_"Something wrong?" Winry asked, without looking up, having caught his gestures from the corner of her eye._

_"N-nothing..." he stuttered, then took a puff on his cigarette again, before seeming serious. "Sorry, I haven't even told you how I know Sheska."_

_"No, you haven't," Winry regarded._

_"It was during the war, I guess after they found me all messed up, with my arm and half of me missing, they fixed me up, and sent me off to wherever was available. All I know, is that I woke up in her house, and she took care of me for a while. She's not the hardest person to get along with, and she's pretty much the most trustworthy you could meet, short of Colonel Mustang."_

_"That guy in the other room?" Winry asked._

_Havoc nodded, then added, "Yeah," aftyer realizing she hadn't looked up at him. "He'd never let any secret get out that was supposed to be kept, and neither would she. I hear she was a good friend of Brigadier General Hughes..before he..."_

_Winry paused in her work, and he could visibly see a tremor in her body, that ran right through to her hands. "Winry?" he asked, removing the cigarette from his mouth. His mind kicked in, and he suddenly blurted, "Oh, I'm sorry...I forgot...you knew him.."_

_"He was...it...he shouldn't have..." she mumbled mixed, jarred thoughts, but shook her head. "Continue, I-I'm okay."_

_"You sure?" he asked._

_"I said YES!" she snapped at him, her eyes flashing up to meet his, and he marvelled both at the anger she had intoned, and the beauty she held for such a seemingly homely young girl. Sheska's attention had been caught by this movement from Winry, and now she had seemingly returned to the reality at hand._

_"..." Winry now noted that she was being stared at by both of the others, and, uncomfortable, she laid aside her tools, stood, and started to pick up. "There's an empty room in the back, isn't there?"_

_"Ye...s.?" havoc said, slowly. "Why?"_

_"I think I'll go to bed. It's been a long day."_

_"B-but..." Havoc paused, and caught himself, nodding. "Sleep well," he practically whispered as she departed._

_Sheska turned her head to him as soon as Winry was gone. "You look like," she mentioned some character in a book, and related to him that he was "something-something like some romantic chasing after so-and-so". Havoc took that she meant that she knew he had a crush on the girl, in simple terms at least._

_He shook his head, blushed, and said, "Y-you can sleep out here. There's no bedding, but-"_

_"You should go talk to her," Sheska said, and it caught him off-gaurd. In the time he actually had spent with her, she wasn't usually one to put things straight-out._

_He repeated, as he stood, "Get some sleep. I think it'll be an early start tomorrow." And with that he left the room as well._

_But he couldn't resist the urge that he wanted to patch things up with Winry Rockbell. Sheska was right. he wanted to go see her. badly. At least, a part of him did. The other part told him that last time he had fallen in love, it had been with a crazy psycho kiler homunculus, and he should stop being a hopeless romantic._

_The former won out._

**_

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**_To Be Continued..._**


	32. Chapter 32

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning **__**

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** _

**Chapter XXXII**

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"HAVOC! OUT OF BED!" yelled a voice from the hallway. There was the sound of doors slamming, and heavy booted feet coming down the corridor with a pretty good speed towards Mrs. Rockebells' room.

Havoc listened to it all from the room itself, having been rudely awakened the second that Mustang started yelling. He had rolled groggily up off the floor, moaned about how hardwood floors hurt, and then listened.

He wasn't near enough awake to register the fact of whos' room he was in. Until the door was flung open.

"Jean Havoc, what exactly DO you think you are doing?" Mustang reprimanded, pausing at the threshold, his his short obsidian hair brushed almost perfectly into place, and his suit immaculately worn. His boots were polished, his gloves put on, and it seemed he had tidied himself up a bit: he seemed flushed, as if he had just taken a shower.

Havoc blinked. "What do-" he paused, quite suddenly, as a rather warm, feminine hand brushed lightly against his arm in a way that made his very skin crawl. He inclined his head, slowly, and found himself looking at Winry Rockbell's form, as her other hand went to massage her temples and she whined that it was too early. Havoc's entire body froze, but he found himself letting out a little sigh of relief. She was still clothed. Thank the Gods for small favors.

"Mustang, do you have no sense of privacy?" he asked, looking up at Roy. He'd worry about why he was here later. It was apparant nothing had happened, so he'd rather deal with the matter at hand.

Roy smirked, cruelly, "When the sun's been up for an hour longer then you have, then I have the right to wake your sorry ass up. If this was the military, Havoc, you'd be fired."

Havoc gave pause to blink. He stared hard at Roy, who, in turn, stared hard back, knowing he was under his officer's vicious scrutiny. This was the man that Havoc had seen pass through so many mood swings recently, the man who could break down in under a second's pressure, the man...who wasn't that man anymore.

"R-roy, is that you? Are you?"

"Call me, Colonel Mustang, 2nd Lieutenant Havoc."

Havoc grinned, and stood, clumsily saluting. "Now that's more like it, sir!"

* * *

The delivery people arrived at about ten in the morning, and Mustang had cause now to go up to Havoc and say, "See, I told you I wasn't useless". But he didn't. He minded his tongue. He was glad to see, however, that the carriage was still intact, and all the books and small supplies he had bought were there.

He was, however, not relieved to have to listen to Havoc's diatribe. He tried to escape it with a simple, I'm-more-superior-then-you thing, but that failed miserably. Havoc was FURIOUS that Roy would leave a "defenseless" citizen by herself in the middle of nowhere, with NO directions whatsoever, and no means of finding them. It was a miracle Sheska had made it alive.

Therefore, Roy sought to escape to the solitary confines of his room. While Havoc had been left in charge of the supplies and the moving in, as well as pimping the two girls who seemed to prefer the man's kind company to Roy's hard gaze, Roy snuck away.

* * *

"Ed," Roy said, softly, almost relieved. He ran a hand back through his hair, shutting the door, turning to face the chibi. "How's it going?"

"These texts aren't too hard to read. I think I'm catching on," Ed murmured, not even casting a glance up at Roy as he read and reread the alchemy book that sat in his lap. You see, Ed's memory loss included alchemy. He had no idea how to do it anymore, and Roy had figured this out early this morning. He had known, most likely, that something similar to this would happen, so he had decided that it should take priority with Ed.

After all, what good was FullMetal without his alchemy?

Roy nodded, and took a seat next to the boy on the futon. He stretched his arms, and gave a wide yawn, letting himself fall backwards, and curl into a little ball on top of the sheets. His eyes closed, and he gave a little smirk.

"You seem comfortable," Ed commented, finishing up with the page he was on, and setting the book down beside the futon. He turned his gaze to Mustang, with a little look of somewhat confusion.

Roy opened his eyes and blinked up at Ed. "I am, but, what's wrong?"

"You seem so different from the way you were yesterday."

"I was given a little taste of faith. Literally," Roy replied, smugly. "Which reminds me, I never did return that..little..." he propped himself up on his elbow, and gazed at Ed with a playful sort of longing. "...slip, of yours."

Ed gave a sudden innocent, frightened look. "Wha-wha, Mustang, not, not now!" He started to scoot back a little, but Roy had caught him already. The Colonel's hand gripped Ed's own, tightly but not enough to hurt him, and he pulled himself up so that his head was inches from Ed's face.

There was a moment or two of closeness between the two, but Roy relinquished his crazy ideas, and let go of the boy's hand. He smoothed back Ed's tousled hair, and smirked. "Just think, tonight we'll have an actual comfy bed. I made sure to buy us a good one. I hope we'll still be sharing?"

Ed gulped, blinked, but nodded slowly. "Y-yeah..."

Roy sat back. "It's okay. I wouldn't hurt you, Edward. I won't do anything without your consent. You know that."

"You would too! Like..."

"Okay, then I promise from now on I won't."

"Don't promise that.." Ed said, turning his head away, just a little, blushing furiously.

"Why not?"

"I...well, I..." Ed said, then his eyes closed, defeatedly, "I actually kinda like it, when you suprise me," he whispered, softly.

Roy smiled. A true, elegant, kindly smile, the sort that always seemed, for him, so fleeting. And it made Ed's pulse rush, so much so that his face was the deep red of a cherry, and he found it hard to make eye contact with Mustang. But Roy was willing to leave it there. He laid back down, next to Ed, and grabbed his hand lightly, holding it with tender affection, as he merely lay beside the boy, speaking not, just seeming contented.

* * *

Ed was reading the alchemy book once more when Roy finally decided to speak. "Edward..."

"Yes, Mustang?"

"Transmute something for me," Roy said, his eyes meeting with Eds. "Please."

Ed gave him a suprised look, but then nodded slowly. "Alright, Mustang. I'll try. Bring me that box over there." He pointed at a small planter that sat by the window, which held a large amoubnt of dirt. Apparantly, the last tenant in this place hadn't decided that the thing was worth taking with.

Roy got up, and mover over to it, picking it up, and bringing it to the bedside, where he set it by Ed. The boy moved himself so that he was somewhat sitting up, with his singular leg laying stretched out on the floor, and his hand positioned over the box. "And, do you have some chalk?"

Roy nodded, and withdrew a piece from his coat pocket. He handed it to Ed.

Ed's hand moved quickly, surely, but still a little uneasy as he drew a circle on the planter. Roy tried to watch, but Ed moved in the way. "Not until I'm done, Mustang." He worked harder, and it took only a matter of minutes for a circle to be etched out.

"Ready?" Ed asked.

Roy nodded, puzzled.

The boy's hand touched the circle, and he focused into it, watching, somewhat amazed at himself, as from the dirt, deep green stalks, covered in thorns, began to rise. And on these stalks, large buds unfurled, and the deep crimson red of roses was brought to light. He focused until there was a seeming forest of roses in the small planter, and there wasn't room for any more.

At that point, he heard a little gasp from Mustang, and gave way to pause. His head turned...slowly...

"Good job, Ed. Good job..." Roy whispered. He turned, just in time to hide that little ephemeral tear that rolled down his cheek."Just...what I expected..."

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**_To Be Continued..._**


	33. Chapter 33

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning **__**

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**Chapter XXXIII**

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_Roy tossed the papers down in front of Ed. "These are the people I have sent word to, just like you asked. I can't guarantee that they will get here soon.." He watched, standing just inside the door, as Ed picked through the papers, giving them a silent scrutiny._

_After a few minutes, Ed looked up at Roy. "Explain. I don't understand."_

_"You asked-"_

_"No. I mean, explain who these people are"_

_Roy nodded, remembering that Ed had no memory of them. "We couldn't get in contact with your sensei, sadly. She would have made a good help in this situation. So, Havoc and I settled for the three people we could get in contact with."_

_Ed nodded. "Yeah, there's three names. You figure to pit seven homunculus against seven alchemists?"_

_Roy met eyes with Ed. "They're the only people we have left. I guess we're going to have to." he paused, coughed into his hand in a formal way, and continued, "The first is Lieutenant Maria Ross. I don't have much of an idea as to how we're going to get here. She's a recruit that Havoc and I knew, but she's an outlaw. We snuck her out a while back, and so she's most likely still in the East. Humorous as it may sound, I believe the fastest way to get word to her is through pigeons."_

_"Pigeons?" Edo questioned, confused._

_"I attached a letter to the leg of a trained carrier pigeon. I highly doubt the letter will get there, however. I've never used carrier pigeons before."_

_Ed nodded, and then held up the other paper. "And these two?"_

_Roy explained to Ed about the other two choices, then sighed, collapsing beside Ed on the futon (the new bed still hadn't been moved in yet), and muttered, "Well, we'll just wait and see what happens."

* * *

****_

"Hey, big bro, come on! You're going too slow!" A young blonde-haired boy laughed, dancing up to the doorway of the apartment, his cap sliding down on his head so that he had to pause and shove it back on. His large eyes looked back on a more reserved young man, with short, matching blonde hair and hard eyes.

"Calm down, Fletcher, we still don't know what we're in for. I wonder why Ed would say that his business is urgent?" The last part was more a thought then a question, but he posed it anyway.

Fletcher shrugged, then gave a shy little smile. "I want to see Alphonse!"

Russel, the older of the two, smiled. "Alright, alright." He stopped for a moment, surveying the large apartment that loomed just ahead, and noticing for the first time that the halls were cluttered with people inside, hauling around furniture of all different kinds.

Fletcher apparantly had noticed this too, because he looked up at his brother and asked, "Are they moving?"

Russel shrugged, then knocked on the door of the apartment.

They waited a few minutes before a blonde man in rather unkempt white shirt and blue pants (military pants, Russel noticed) answered the door. He seemed to consider the two on the doorstep, as he said, "Yes? Can I help you?"

"Is Edwa-" Russel started, but was interrupted by a loud feminine voice from the background, yelling something about who the hell bought such and such, and whose whats had been left in something room. The man in front of him sweatdropped and sighed.

He watched as the blonde turned from him, and yeleld into the background, "Winry, do you mind keeping it down? The whole neighborhood can-" Which was then followed by a male voice in the background yelling about the girl shutting up, because he was trying to sleep.

A bit creeped out, Russel started to take a few steps back, and his hand moved to shepard Fletcher behind him. As the man, Havoc, turned back to him, he had the feeling he was in the wrong place. But it wouldn't hurt to ask. "Are the Elrics here?"

"The older one is." Havoc said. Then he seemed to brighten up. "Oh, you much be Nash Tringham's sons, right? Colonel Mustang told me you'd be coming." Jean turned, looked around the room to make sure that it wasn't TOO messy, then grinned back at the two. "Come in."

Fletcher looked up at Russel, and the two exchanged confused glances, before Russel said, "We should go in, I guess. Stay close." He was starting to wonder if this was a house or a military base.

* * *

****

"So let me get this straight," Russel said, massaging his temple as he sat on a rather hard, cold steel chair. "You've found a Philosopher's Stone, but in order to get it, you'll most likely get killed. And you want our help."

Ed and Roy both nodded at the same time, the two of them seated in chairs opposite the Tringham brothers. "That's right," said Roy.

"Nothing doing," Russel replied. "I'm an agricultural alchemist, and I've got my brother to think of." He stood, and started towards the door, but paused when he realized that Fletcher wasn't following him. "Fletcher, come on."

"But brother-" whined the young boy, "Just think about it. That stone could-"

"I don't want to hear it!" snapped Russel. "We're leaving!" The anger was clear in his voice, and just as clear in his mind. Why the hell should he risk his life for no apparant reason? When he had gotten Ed's note yesterday, he had assumed it was a bluff, but had been curious to know about the "important situation" Ed had specified (Even though it was Roy Mustang who wrote the letter, pretending to be Edward, but Russel didn't know that).

But this was suicide! Nope, no way, he and Fletcher were not going to get involved in this.

"Brother..." Fletcher whispered, looking on the verge of childish tears as he looked at the ground, and scraped at the wooden floor with one foot, "What about Ed and Al?"

"What about them?" Russel stated. He looked across the room, as if to see Ed's reaction, but nothing changed in Elric's face; he seemed indifferent.

"They helped us...and.."

"Shut up, Fletcher!" Russel snapped, his voice even colder. "We're going, and that's final!" With that, he stomped out of the room.

Fletcher stood a few moments after Russel's exit. He looked over at Ed with a look that showed sympathy, that he wanted to help, but Roy just shook his head. "You should go with your brother."

Keeping his eyes on Edward, Fletcher nodded to Roy's suggestion. "I'm sorry..."

Ed smiled, waving the one arm he did have. "It's okay."

* * *

As the boy left the room,Roy turned to Edward. He could see the gears turning in the teen's face. They had come so far. They had redecorated the entire apartment, so that it seemed more homey (The main room, which they were in, had lavish curtains on the windows, and a cooking area, a couch, and a table, as well as several metal chairs. The three bedrooms had all been decked out in fancy four-poster beds, and bookshelves lined with books, as well as a table in each. And, even today, two days after Roy had sent out the letters and the first furniture had started being brought in, they were still moving in.)

Now, all they needed was a good team, but Roy was beginning to lose faith. There had been no reply from Ross (The pigeon must have lost its way...stupid bird), and now the only other two they could count on wouldn't help. Roy had even searched for traces of Armstrong inside Headquarters (using Havoc as a sort of self-appointed spy), but hadn't turned up with anything.

He sighed, defeatedly. But Ed, ever the optimist, just smiled at him kindly. "Well, we do have a small group already, don't we? And, look at it this way, Winry's almost done with my automail...we don't have to wait up anymore for people to come...we can just..."

Roy shook his head. It was official. This was a pure suicide mission.

****

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**_To Be Continued..._**


	34. Chapter 34

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning **__**

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**Chapter XXXIV**

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_"Brother! Brother wait! Nii-san!" Fletcher yelled, clutching his hat tightly to his head with one hand as he darted out the door of Ed's apartment, and looked in all directions for a trace of the older alchemist. A drop of water fell down, landing on the boy's nose, which gave him pause to look up at the sky. _

_"It's raining..."

* * *

_

Russel, meanwhile, was not too far from the apartment, but was making haste towards the train station as fast as he could. The light rain that had started to fall didn't bother him, no. It was that look on Ed's face: that blank stare, and that ghostly gleam in the kid's eyes that made Russel uneasy. He was sure it was a result of mischievious behavior, and it probably had something to do with the Philosopher's Stone.

And there was no way he and Fletcher were going to get caught up in that mess. No way.

"Nii-san! Nii-san, wait up!" he heard the voice, and the frantic footsteps behind him, and Russel slowed just enough so that the young boy would be able to catch up. When Fletcher was back at his side, the older of the two refused to make eye contact with the younger. Instead, Russel's eyes were focused ahead of him, a hard grimace plastered on his face.

Fletcher's heavy breathing showed his exhaustion as he clutched at his hat so it wouldn't blow away, and tried to keep up with Russel, who again slowed considerably to show that he noticed his brother's condition. But he didn't stop moving. He wanted to get away from here, put this behind him.

"Brother, please...reconsider.."

"I said no, Fletcher. I'm not going to put us in the middle of that wild goose chase. Forget it."

Fletcher shivered with the cold, and hugged himself to keep warm. He looked to his brother, who would usually have put an arm around his shoulders at least to keep him warm, but Russel offered no such comfort. His teeth chattered as he said, "Brother...at least we should go back...they said we could at least stay the night...look, it's dark.."

"It's cold, brother...Nii-san...please?"

"This is about dad, isn't it?"

"Shut up! It has nothing to do with him, Fletcher! Nothing!" Russel said, turning to face the boy with fierce eyes and an angered temper.His fists clenched, and he held this stance for quite some time, watching the little boy before him quiver with fear.

Fletcher choked back a sob, and scooted away from his brother, fearful, as Russel at last tried to calm himself. The older turned his head away, but found his voice taking up a quiet tone, a serious tone. "Fletcher...yes, yeah you're right. Dad got killed for trying to find just an imitation of the stone. What do you think's going to happen to us if we go after the real thing?"

"Brother..." Fletcher replied, looking in the other direction.

And there they stood, in the dark, in the rain.

* * *

Long about twenty or so minutes later, with neither brother having moved an inch, a rather unexpected visitor dropped in upon them. Literally "dropped"in.

"Nii-san, do you hear something?" Fletcher asked, looking up, fancying that he heard the unmistakable sound of a blade carving through the night air. Russel must have heard it too, because he yelled, "Look out!" and shoved the little boy aside, both of them rolling hard to the pavement, just barely dodging a vicious-looking blade that lodged itself into the ground beside them.

Attached to the blade was what the two thought was a man, for when Russel looked up, he saw a figure before him. But it seemed inhuman at the same time as it seemed human; it had the correct shape for a man, but as it inclined its head to them...

...the two saw a fiendish, skeletal face, with bright glowing eyes.

"What?" came a metallic, joking voice, "Did you think I was going to chop you up?" The being before them sounded smug, as if it were grinning behind what was most likely a mask. It stepped a few feet forward, towards them, and the Tringham brothers caught the glimpse of metallic armor covering the things entire frame, and a long, flowing mane from its mask.

Fletcher, naive, nodded in response almost stupidly.

The being before them let out a loud, and rather annoying, laugh. "Oh reeeally? Pity you didn't wet yourself!I thought I would at least scare you a little more!" He gripped his side, as if the laughing actually hurt him, when Russel didn't really think it did.

The two brothers exchanged glances, then chanced getting to their feet. Russel stood first, brushing himself off, then helped Fletcher up, keeping his eyes on the intruder the entire time. He was unsure whether to try and kill it, or run, or make some snide remark. Perhaps alchemy might be useful in this situation.

"Oh, don't worry!" came the voice from the being, as the laughter subsided. "I only chop up women. Men are no fun, they don't scream in terror as much!" And he fell into a fit of cruel laughter again.

By now, Russel was casting Fletcher the "this-guy-is-crazy" look.

"Say, I bet you two are from around here! Do you know.." A bolt of lightning above shot across the sky, and the figure's face lit up, devilishly, "where the Colonel Mustang and that little FullMetal Shorty are?"

Fletcher looked over at Russel, who immediately, instinctively, asked, "What do you want with them?"

The armor before him gave another small laugh. "So they are here." His face seemed vile, vicious again, though it couldn't be called a face. Just a mask of bone. His hand grasped the cleaver that was wedged in front of him, and hefted it with ease. "I'm just checking the mail," he replied, holding up a bloodied, dripping wet piece of paper, though Russel and Fletcher both felt it was more then that._****_

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._**


	35. Chapter 35

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning**__****_

* * *

**Chapter XXXV**

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* * *

**

_Ed let out a wail, struggling hard against the firm grip of Roy Mustang's hands, which sought to hold him down. He cried harder as the Colonel cruelly smother him into the pillows of the soft bed, as the man's arms wrapped tight around Edward's neck and pushed him down._

_"Just a little longer Ed...hang in there..." whispered Taisa's voice in soft, sweet tones._

_Ed let out another cry, his body flailing about now, Taisa pushing his weight harder against Ed, praying to God that it would soon be over, that the boy's suffering would, for the time, cease._

_Finally, the young boy's body fell limp in Mustang's hands, his eyes closing, his head resting lightly against the satin pillows, his breathing shallow, gentle, as if he were regaining his strength. And Roy found himself relaxing as Ed did, collapsing beside him. No one would think it, but it was twice as hard holding FullMetal down as it was to be him, to be held down._

_"That should do it," Winry Rockbell's voice said, raising just a little over the din, brushing her hands off and giving a kindly glance at Roy and Edward. "Thank you, Colonel."_

_Roy smiled, opening one eye to lok at the girl. "No problem.." Behind her, Havoc and Sheska stood in silence, with concerned, yet relieved faces._

* * *

It wasn't too long after the Tringham brothers had left that Winry had, proudly, announced the completion of Edward's limbs. Now, Roy Mustang had never actually been in the room when Edward had had his limbs attached, but he knew now how painful it must be for the kid, and he could rather rlate to both FullMetal and Jean Havoc's pain over these limbs.

Having been asked to hold Ed down, Roy had accepted. Now, as he lay, too tired from these endeavors to move, he was only resolved further to help Ed and Havoc regain their lost body parts. He didn't want either of them to have to go through this...reattachment...again.

He closed his eyes, and bid them all go to bed for the night. He would watch over Ed for the entire night, no matter how tired he was. He wanted to make sure that the kid was okay when he awoke, that everything had gone as correctly as it now seemed.

But most of all, he wanted to be there for his friend.

* * *

Ed awoke within the hour, suprisingly. Roy knew this because, as he lay beside Ed in the dark, drifting between conciousness and sleep, he felt a gentle, cold metal against his skin, gently tracing the length of his arm. Mustang's eyes popped open immediately, and he whispered, "You're awake."

The hand had made its way from Roy's arm up to gently run down the older mans cheek, and then there was a little grunt from the boy. "Mmm..."

"Your arm works well?" Roy asked.

Ed, as if still testing it, ran his hand back through Roy's unkempt, ruffled hair, and let it come to rest on Taisa's shoulder, massaging it lightly. When he had been massaging for but a minute, Ed's large eyes opened and he snuggled his head groggily against Roy's chest. "Yep. It works." He winced lightly, and Roy drew him closer.

"Does it hurt?"

"Like hell," Ed replied, mustering a soft smile. He watched as Roy's face was suddenly downcast, and his hand moved from Roy's shoulder, tussling the man's hair once more. "Hey, Taisa, don't look so down, it's not your fault."

"But, Ed, it is-"

"I won't hear of it. I was the one who got in the way of your transmutation, wasn't I?" He winced a little again, but regained composure. His flesh hand moved to clutch Roy's own hand in his own, and his cold, steel hand strayed through the older man's soft, velvety hair.

"Roy," Ed whispered, snuggling closer. "You're...you're kinda cute when you're sad, did you know that?" Roy was taken aback by these words, startled. "But," Ed added, "you're even cuter when you smile...so...you should..." he was blushing, furiously, now, but made a lame attempt to hide it."smile...just a little more often, okay?"

Roy blinked, letting this all settle in, then he slowly nodded. A tiny grin snuck out on his face. "Ed, you're a smooth talker, did you-" He started to lean forward, as if to kiss the boy...

CRASH! The roof caved in above them, and a large, bulky figure landed on the ground, shaking off mass quantities of dirt and plaster. Beneath the dust, bright metallic limbs seemed to shine brightly, burnished in the moonlight shining in from above...and the rain that was now coming in the self-made sunroof.

Ed looked up, coughing, bewildered, definately taking note of Mustang's arms, which were thrown about him like a human shield. As Roy coughed, painfully, the two's eyes slowly trailed towards the figure...

* * *

"So, where's the little Lieutenant lady?" came a sinister voice, followed by the closest that mere words could come to a sneer, "Its been so long since she bothered to check up on me. You'd think I mighta've at least ranked a little higher..." He raised up a hand, and surveyed the room from behind a bone-white mask.

Apparantly, he wasn't expecting the two men who occupied the room, and it was clear that Roy and Ed had not been expecting him.

"YOU!" cried the metal being, cursing loudly about his luck. His hand was thrust forward, pointed at Edward.

"Me?" Ed replied, confused, coughing with the miniscule amount of dirt left in his lungs. "I know you?"

"YES!" replied the armor, indigantly, pulling out his cleaver, and starting towards Edward. "Why...yeah, you're that kid that got me into this body in the first place. I'd never forget a face like yours, you little-"

Ed gave a soft frightened noise, somewhere between a yelp and a cry. But Roy was right there, and now he threw his arms up, and stood in front of Ed. "Barry the Chopper," Roy said, adressing his foe. "what do you-"

It was at that moment that the door was flung open and five faces tumbled through it all at once: Havoc, with his gun in hand, Sheska in her pajamas, Winry, Russel, and Fletcher (both of which seemed well out of breath). There was now that initial look of confusion between everyone in the room, as each person tried to make their own decision about the situation.

'Jesus Christ, are we just magnets for trouble?' Havoc wondered.

'The weirdos keep coming,' thought Winry.

'I must be famous or something,' Ed thought, ruefully, shaking his head. 'But apparantly not in a good way, I take it.'

'This is just like that one time in that one book, only reading it is better then watching it...or is it? Yes, a book is definately better...I think...' Sheska's mind reeled sleepily, and it was clear now that she was clutching a large, leather-bound book in her arms.

Barry, however, seemed to be the one thinking the most right now. He wasn't really actually here to fight: he had other business. Ah, but the women...two beautiful young women that he would just LOVE to chop up. No. That one chick...Hawkeye, was it, had told him not to cut anyone up ever again. And a woman like that...

Russel spoke first. "We...tried not to..." he caught his breath, slowly, "But he found his way here anyways. Sorry, Ed, Mustang."

Barry held up his hands in a incocuous manner, and sighed. "What's a suit of armor with nothing but a soul to do? I mean, after all, I'm surrounded here. But I didn't come to fight," he said, dropping the cleaver, unable to resist adding cruelly, "or did I?"

Click! Havoc's gun was loaded, and Roy, on cue, sputtered, "Speak now, or get the hell out."

Barry's...eyes...met with Roy's. "I'd really chop you up by now, if you were a girl, you know. You'd be dead meat. Oooh, and then I'd have the chance to see the crimson bloodof such dripping down my sword...that beautiful, luscious sight of flesh ripping-"

"Say what you need to say," Roy demanded, trying not to look as tired as he actually was. He cast a glance at Edward, who looked back with confused encouragement. "OR BE GONE!"

Every eye was cast on Barry now, who, if he could have, would have looked shocked, but not for lone. He would have ended up smirking, if he could have. "Where's the Lieutenant, that hot blonde one?"

Roy's eyes flashed once, then just as soon, faded, and his head tilted downward. He didn't speak, but his arms slowly dropped to his sides.

"Roy..." Ed murmured, sadly, softly, the kindness in his words showing his careful concern.

"She's...she's dead..." Roy whispered. "Dead...for...for good."

**

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**

**_To Be Continued..._**


	36. Chapter 36: Eight

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning**__**

* * *

** _

**Chapter XXXVI: A Party of Eight**

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* * *

**

_"Dead?" Barry said, for the hundreth time, seated backwards on one of the little steel chairs, which, apparantly, had been dragged into Ed's room by one of the members of the little group. It was quite clear that the Elric boy was definately a important figure in this conversation, but, seeing as how he was unable to move, and everyone else wanted to sit down...well, to make things short, the chairs were a good idea._

_Now there was a civil semi-circle of chairs around the bed, with Barry and Havoc towards the middle, the two girls next to Havoc, and the Tringhams next to Barry. Roy was slumped on the bed, and Ed, perhaps the tiredest of them all, was too concerned with Roy to notice that his eyes were drooping in such a way that it looked as if he'd collapse from his exhaustion._

_Conveniently, the chairs were placed so that the hole in the roof let water drip down in between the bed-ridden party members and the circle, but the water would not touch any of them. It was coming down just as hard as ever, Ed thought, ruefully. If only the rain could wash away all of this pain and misery that plagued them all._

_"Dead..." repeated Mustang._

_There was a silence again, each person contemplating this news once more, before Barry spoke. "You could've just attached her soul to-"_

_"I-it..it wasn't that easy..." Roy muttered. "There were...complications."_

_"Complications? What sort of complications are you talking about?" Barry asked, shaking his furred head. "I mean, come on, was it your "human conscious"?" he seethed the words like they were venom, before, in a cruel manner, stating, "When there's a HOT babe like that, who is like the absolute God of things that-"_

_"Enough," Ed whispered. trying to silence Barry. he knew the rant, though he couldn't remember the man who said it. This, this thing was a monster that just wanted to kill. And Ed could see, from the troubled look on Mustang's face, that the new intruder was NOT helping the conversation, not even a bit. He inclined his head towards Roy, and reached a hand tentatively for the Colonel's shoulder, but Roy flinched out of his grasp. Ed, resolved now, just let his head droop a little, and repeated, "Enough..."_

_"Can I ask you a question?" Havoc asked, looking over at Barry in a sort of uncaring way. His friend Falman had spent quite some time with the metal being, but this thing was only an aquaintance of Jean's, and he'd rather keep it that way, to tell the truth._

_"You just did," Barry said, cackling evilly._

_"I'm being serious."_

_"So was I, so was I!" joked Barry, taking his own jokes a little too well._

_"...," irritated, Havoc waited a minute, resisting the urge to smack the tin can. "How'd you find us?"_

_"This," Barry replied, holding up a little wet, crinkled piece of paper with... was that blood, on it. He tossed it in Havoc's general direction, which was unnessecary, seeing as how they were sitting right beside one another, and Jean caught it._

_"Dear Maria Ross..." havoc started, his voice rising a little as he read it aloud, interested._

_"That's the letter I sent to Lieutenant Ross," Roy said, calmly, looking up with cool, deep, empty eyes. "How did you get it?"_

_"Let's just say a little birdy gave it to me," Barry replied, a malicious look taking the features of the mask. "Or something like that."_

_Ed blanched. "You killed the pigeon?"_

_"Sliced it clean in two! Oh, what a marvelous sight too, though I much prefer the human-"_

_Click! "One more word, and I blow your friggin head off," Jean said, angrily. You could practically see the little throbbing anger symbol above his head, an unusual sight, seeing as how he was usually a laid-back guy._

_"Go ahead and try! You can't kill me!" taunted Barry._

_Havoc looked to Roy for permission to shoot, but got quite a different reaction from the Taisa. Roy's features drooped, and his body wavered, before he fell forward, his head dropping to his palms. Ed reached out an arm, and wrapped it around Mustang's shoulders. "We're doomed, Ed," whispered Roy. "Doomed.."_

_"What's this about doomed?" asked Barry, suddenly interested, as he moved his...hand away from his blade, having been inspecting it, trying to judge if he was allowed to use it on Havoc._

_When none of the others replied, Sheska, who'd been nearly falling asleep in her chair, wishing for a good book, was nudged in the side by Winry. "You're the one with the supersmart memory. Tell him," Winry chided. Her voice dropped so only Sheska could hear, "Ed and the others can't...it hurts them too bad...and I don't know it all well enough."_

_Sheska blinked, suprised that someone like Winry, who was, in her mind, quite pretty, was talking to her. She nodded, dumbly, then slowly recited everything she knew. And indeed, the men were hurt. Roy let himself lay against Ed, who, in turn, listened with closed eyes and an iron heart. Havoc didn't speak, and the Tringham brothers, who had just recently heard this entire story, merely sat and listened in quiet thought._

_Finally, Sheska finished, took a breath, and smiled. "Good enough?" she questioned, searching for praise._

_Roy gave the tiniest smile, setting aside his weeping until he was alone. He turned his head around to look at everyone, and whispered, so Sheska would hear, "Yes, you do have a good memory, don't you?"_

_She blushed, and started to say something, but Barry butted in. "Sounds like a lot of blood will be spilled...and those homunculus are the ones who put me in this body, right? Oooh, I've been dying to chhop one of them up! Especially that black chick with the long hair...she looks like she would cut up nicely..."_

_Ed flinched every time the being said the word "cut". How unpleasant for small talk._

_"...I'm in," Barry said._

_"Now, wait just one minute, who invited-" Havoc started._

_"Lieutenant," Roy said, trying to calm Havoc, but he seemed suprised himself. "We need all the help we can get."_

_"But he-"_

_"No buts."_

_"Yes sir..."_

_Barry, if he had had a tongue, would have stuck it out at Havoc. But he didn't, so he contented himself with doing the whole peace-sign gesture. Havoc seemed to pout._

_Edward smiled at Roy. "See? We do have a chance.."_

_Roy smiled back, sorrowfully, "A chance in hell."_

_"We're in," said a voice from across the room._

_Everyone turned, only to see Russel, who had been sitting there thoughtfully, now looking at them with full attention. When they all seemed confused, he repeated, "We're in."_

_Fletcher looked up at him. "Brother!"_

_"I'm always going to be known as Nash Tringham's kid. The famous Nash Tringham's son. I can hide behind our alchemy all I want, but if I passed up a chance like this, and you guys actually got a hold of the Philosopher's Stone...I'd regret it for the rest of my life."_

_Fletcher's smile widened. "Brother! We're going to help?"_

_Russel nodded._

_The littler boy jumped up and did what could have been called a victory dance in all cases, which caused the mood in the room to lighten just slightly. Smiles were put on faces that rarely saw any happy news. Hope was put in hearts that had been despairing not too long ago. Fight was put back in tired, but restless bodies._

_Roy smiled, and Ed's face echoed the smile. "Thank you," Roy said, slowly moving to stand. As he did, he turned his eyes to each person in the room in turn:_

_Sheska, the brains behind the operation. Winry, the mechanic with the fearsome punch. Russel and Fletcher, two of the most advance agricultural alchemists to date. Barry, the idiotic, but overwhelmingly powerful (though Roy hated to admit it) soul attachment. And Havoc, his close friend._

_He smirked, cockily. "We are now a party of eight. The homunculus don't stand a chance."_

_Now, he just had to convince himself of that fact._

**_

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_ **

**_To Be Continued..._**


	37. Chapter 37

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning**__**

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**Chapter XXXVII**

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**

_Teamwork had been the mission of the last month. It had been through careful planning and hefty togetherness that the group had managed to get things done, accomplished. But not without the fierce judgement and ever-watching onlook of Roy Mustang, who had founded himself the Colonel in the group just as Havoc had told him to do._

_The roof was repaired by Winry, whose mechanical engineering was overwhelming when guided by the knowledge of the quiet, mousy Sheska. Barry was kept under control by the Taisa, how, no one knew. They figured it was one of those silent, respectful bonds that the two had, seeing as how they both had quite a few regrets, and memories, of the late Riza Hawkeye. Any aquaintance of hers was likely to be a friend to them. Havoc was busy with collecting information, seeing as how he was the only one of the group allowed in Central, freely. The Tringhams had gone back to tie up some loose ends back in Xenotime, and to pick up some of the materials that they had left behind that might prove to be useful._

_Edward's efforts were focused, entirely, to alchemy, and it was suprising he had gotten this far. Even if he was an amazing child prodigy, it was optimistic to think that he could remaster ten years of hard-earned alchemy in less then a month. But, even a small percentage of his normal power would be significant to Mustang, and that thought gave Ed the strength to work night and day, falling asleep on top of his books, with transmutation circles swimming in his mind. He wanted nothing more then to please Taisa._

_And so, the time passed, until it had been an entire month, and now it was clear that the time was drawing near. Sheska had read and memorized every detail of homunculus that could possibly be found, and Winry had upgraded Ed's arm to be as strong as possible, without hindering his movement. Havoc was well in shape, and ready anytime. Barry was itching for a fight, and the Tringham's had practiced and repracticed their alchemistic techniques. Edward could transmute without a circle once more (after Roy told him of this unique technique that Ed had forgotten he had), and was about as prepared as one could be._

_Now, they were just waiting for news: a sighting of the homunculus, a clue as to where their lair was._

* * *

_"Hey, Edward," Roy murmured, sticking his head in Ed's room, and giving the kid an indifferent, but still rather kindly, smile. "Why don't we go somewhere today?"_

_"Hm?" Ed gave one of those large-eyed, blank, confused looks, but he didn't resist. It was a nice day, and, well, he had been working for a month now. He deserved a day off._

_In under ten minutes, the boy found himself walking alongside Roy Mustang on the streets of the town. A month was a long time, he had to admit, and it had changed the atmosphere around them quite a bit. Before, when the town had only been on the verge of chaos, it hadn't been too dangerous a place. But today, after a whole month of senseless war and killing, it was evident that the entire world was probably on pins and needles, waiting for some stray soldier to wander into their own towns and pick a fight with the wrong person._

_'All the more reason,' Edward thought, ruefully, 'for this war to finally be brought to an end.' But what he said, to Roy, was, "Hey, where are we going Mustang?" He added, after noticing that he practically had to run to keep up with Taisa's strides (Because Roy's legs, mind you, were twice as long as Ed's), "Slow down, would ya?"_

_Roy slowed and looked back at him, contemplated, then said, with that same smile he had used to lure Edward out here, "To see a friend of mine."__

* * *

_

Central City.

This was, unbelievably, the only place that hadn't changed over the long, gruelling month. It was still the same placid, fake-happy place that ever there was. The sun still shone here, and the sky was still blue. The only sounds were that of birds chirping, and the grass was still a radiant shade of green. Or, at least the part of the city that Edward and Roy had gone to was like this.

Speaking of Mustang, he hadn't spoken since they had left the little town and gotten here. Well, he had spoken, once, to a flower lady from which he procured a bouquet of lovely roses and lilies, that Ed almost complained he could have transmuted himself. He didn't, however, because he figured it must be symbolistic or something. Roy's mind worked in strange ways.

Now, as Mustang walked, he didn't speak, and Ed could tell from the rare glimpses he caught of Taisa's face that he was most definately deep in thought; that something was troubling him. But what could it be?

Now, though, Roy's confused, bothered state did little to supress the foreboding that had coiled around Elric's heart like a serpent's tail. Because they were not merely wandering through the city. They were wandering through a cemetary.

**_

* * *

_**

**_To Be Continued...  
(This chapter is short, because it would run too long otherwise. Just a summary of the past few months and an intro to the next chapter. I gladly announce we are on the homestretch. There are less then ten chapters left.)_**


	38. Chapter 38

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning**__**

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** _

**Chapter XXXVIII**

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_"In memory of both a good friend, and a loyal officer: Here lies Brigadier General Maes Hughes," Edward read from the dust-free, yet all-too-normal tombstone when Roy refused to answer exactly for whom he was mourning with such sorrow, such loss._

_The flowers Roy had placed, with ceremonial perfection, on the grave, and now he remained, standing stock-still, with his right hand saluting the stone, and his eyes giving an all-too-indifferent look. But, the gears were turning. Though Ed couldn't see it, Taisa's mind was moving a million miles a moment. His heart, in his chest, pounded like a fierce beast awaiting a chance to escape. His entire insides fluttered with tremors that weren't visible externally, a sign of how uneasy he felt._

_Why? Because this was the last, and only chance he had to do this. And if he failed, he wasn't going to forgive himself._

_"Roy, who-" Ed asked, breaking the silence, but Roy cut him off._

_"He was a friend of mine,almost my brother. To you, I guess he was the father you never knew. He took care of both of us," he paused, turning to face Ed with cruel, dark eyes, "until he fell in too deep."_

_"You mean..." Ed started._

_"He was killed. For trying to help us," his fist clenched, and he was now staring Ed down with such intensity that it caused the younger boy to quiver with a slight fear. 'Now do you understand how real this is, Edward? Now do you realize that it's not just some chess game?'_

_Yes, it was Mustang's point, the only thing he had been able to think of for days. 'At least he got a decent burial. Think of it. Keep playing, and you might not be so lucky. Riza wasn't. She's probably just another body, strewn in some mass grave where no one will remember her name.." his voice shook, but he willed his eyes to be firm, to stare Ed down. He had to inflict the reality of this war on the boy like one would inflict a sword wound. Even if it meant injuring him._

_"Mustang..."_

_"Ed, you don't need to die next. You stay here, and, by God, I'll use my flame to bring you back a stone. You don't need to come with, and risk your very life for us-"_

_"And you don't need to risk yours to get a stone for me," Ed replied. He wasn't backing out, not now. He'd been too far. "Roy, stop trying to get me to back out. Stop being so damned indecisionate. And so selfish. I didn't learn all that alchemy for nothing, Roy."_

_Roy blinked. From behind him, he felt one arm snake under his right arm, and wrap itself around his chest. The other arm of the boy followed suit, and then a gentle head rested against Mustang's back, causing him to let out a little sigh of relief. "Oh...Ed..."_

_"Quiet now, Roy, and you listen for once. I'm the one who started this whole mess, from what you've told me, and so I want to finish it. Even if others have died, you can't say the same will happen to me. It seems I've come through a lot of near-death situations, and I'm not saying I'm immortal or anything, but I must at least be pretty damn lucky," Ed's face was buried in Roy's back, and he felt every little tension of the Taisa's body, every little movement underneath him.

* * *

_

_A cloud passed overhead. Minutes passed with it. One...two..._

_"Taisa?"_

_"It's okay, Ed..." Roy whispered. "You don't...remember anything, do you? Not a thing. Your memory still won't come back. It must...it must hurt terribly."_

_Ed chuckled, ruefully, still clinging tight to Taisa. "It does, but I'm rather optimistic. It would probably hurt a lot more to have those memories then it does to not have them. Still...I wish I knew every little detail of how we met. I wish I knew my heart's first impression of you. I want...to know what it's like to have a brother, since, well, you did say I had one, didn't you? But I don't remember him. I want to know these people you show me, not just trust your words.."_

_"Are you saying I'm lying?"_

_"No," Ed whispered. "It's just...I want tangible memories...I want to know how we first met, from first-hand experience. I want to know...everything...that I once knew about you. I want...I want to know what it is I truely feel for you."_

_Roy paused. "You already know that last part."_

_"I do?"_

_"What do you feel about me, Ed? What do you feel when you hold me like this, when I look at you...?"_

_Ed thought, then answered with one word, pure, and simple: "Love." This led Roy to be confused. He hadn't been expecting that. Admiration, friendship...the old Elric would have simply answered with 'Loathing,", but love was the one thing that Roy had not been expecting. And yet, he had. it had been there, hadn't it? All the signs and hints the boy had given..._

_"Have you thought about it, Ed, like I asked you to?"_

_"I did. Mustang, I...I will stand by your side. I want to be there for you, with you, forever. Can you let me? Can you trust me? Always?"_

_Roy blushed, but ever so softly. he stepped away, out of the boy's grasp, then turned, and, in one fell swoop, he had his arm draped over Ed's shoulder, and his lips pressed against FullMetal's, his tongue slipping into the boy's mouth. If Ed was suprised, he did one hell of a job hiding it. No, instead, the Elric boy's hands slipped to the waist-line of Roy's pants, and his tongue slid into Mustang's mouth, locking with his. _

_Now they were kissing, passionately, in the middle of a cemetary, in public. But if that wasn't bad enough, it was halfway through this little exchange that they got a sudden, unexpected visitor. Such was the case in many of their more romantic chances, but then, what were they to do with a group of crazies surrounding them who wouldn't know the word privacy from a...well, you get the point._

_A great rock wall suddenly shot up between the two of them, causing both Ed and Roy to jump backwards, away from each other. Just as they got out of the way, the wall abruptly rose, then dissapeared instantly._

_"Whats the meaning of-" Roy started, but then froze. "Suka." The name was a vile word on his tongue, and he shot it at the man who approached like it was a poison dart._

_"Suka?" Ed looked in the direction Roy was looking, and translated as he saw the man, "Scar?"_

_Scar, the Ishbalan with the scarred face and the demonic arm, approached, unaware of the maledictionin Roy's words. His eyes were narrowed, but not menacingly, and he carried something in his hand. His wary eyes caught the movement of Roy's own hand, which went to snap, and he raised his free hand in protest._

_"I come to bring you a letter, alchemist. Roy Mustang, care of Jean Havoc."_

_"A letter?" asked Ed._

_Roy raised an eyebrow, unsure if the man was to be trusted._

_"I will work with the state only this once, because I want the blood of that homunculus spilled (He hates Lust, remember, kiddies?) as much as any of the State ever could. That note will explain everything. And, if not, your friend will," and, with that, Scar dropped the note in Roy's hand, turned around, and left as abruptly, and strangely as he had come._

_Ed gestured at the letter. "What does it say?"_

_Roy, reading aloud, fought to keep a serious, indifferent expression: "Roy, Ed, come back immediately. We found the sins. It's time. P.S. The guy I sent this letter with wants to help. You told me not to refuse anyone, so I decided to let him help. But are you sure about this? We're like a band of outlaws now.."_

_Roy smirked. "A band of nine renogades, against seven demons. NOW the odds seem fair..." He looked to Ed. "Looks like our little...conversation...is put on hold. But, Ed, you best not die before-"_

_"I won't," Ed said, grinning. "C'mon!" He ran ahead, anxious to get back, and to get going from there. A sense of foreboding hit him like a train, but he laughed it off. Let him die. At least he'd have fun doing it.

* * *

_

Roy, still at the grave, looked over to it as Ed left. With a small glint in his eye, he whispered, "Hughes...I'll come back, one day. When Ed remembers you, we'll have a picnic here, just the three of us. Keep smiling, from wherever you are. It's time for our future to begin."

He saluted once more, then went to catch up with Ed.

"My future is about to be determined," was his last thought, as the grave vanished from sight, and the cemetary, and Ed's encounter with him, were beginning to take their place as memories.

Memories that he would never, ever forget.**_

* * *

_**

**_To Be Continued..._**


	39. Chapter 39

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning**__**

* * *

** _

**Chapter XXXIX**

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**

"Barry, Havoc, spread out! Russel, Fletcher, you've got our backs. Suka, protect Miss Winry and Miss Sheska! Ed, you stay close to me. Alright, move! Whatever you do, don't stop for a second, isn't that right, Sheska?" Roy's eyes turned to the girl, whose face was obscured by a large book.

She pulled the book down to just below her face so she could see them all, then nodded. "Yes, it says here that this place is booby-trapped and quite...dangerous..."

"Let's go!" Roy said, nodding, and taking off.

* * *

Above the group, the entrance to the homunculuses lair loomed, nothing but a large, long, winding tunnel dug deep in the Earth, more then twenty feet tall, and wider then a subway station. There was little light in the place, therefore they had brought one candle, and Roy would send out sparks from time to time so they didn't lose their way.

Yes, havoc was right, this was most surely where the homunculus were. There was no doubt of that in his mind. And now, they were finally here. Everyone, together, was here. They'd come so far, and done so much, and now, two days after his little "trip" with Edward, they were finally at the ending point of their journey.

It all boiled down to these last few hours. But, it was going to be a mission to test them all. To test their courage, their abilities, their-

* * *

"MUSTANG!" Ed screamed, shoving Roy aside, and ducking out of the way just in time as a line of gunshot fire headed in their direction. Then, from another direction, came another line. And another, until the whole place was filled with it. And worse, it was ricocheting off the walls.

Frightened, starting to pull back, several of the others looked to where Roy was, as he shot to his feet, after being pushed down by Ed, and started dodging the bullets. "Get out of here! Quickly!" He snagged Ed's arm and dragged him onward. At one point, he felt the boy's arm tense, and realized that a bullet had just hit Ed's metallic shin.

"You alright, Edo?" he asked, alarmed, but keeping himself focused.

"A little stunned, but, yeah...good thing that wasn't my flesh leg, though..."

Not flesh...that was it!

"Russel, Fletcher, use your alchemy to stop two of those guns! I'll light up the tunnel so you can find them. Scar, can you get one too? I'll-"

"I want to get the last one," Ed stated.

Roy blinked at Ed, took a breath, then nodded. "Okay. Ready?"

Fletcher, Russel and Ed nodded. Scar just looke indifferent, but then, Mustang hadn't expected much from him anyway. When the Taisa gave the signal, snapping his fingers and illuminating the tunnel, Russel and Fletcher dropped to the ground and furiously drew two circles. Scar lunged towards an end of the tunnel, running for it with the speed that Roy knew befitted an Ishbalan. Ed's hands clapped together, and a lightning bolt shot towards one of the guns. He seemed smug, watching as it bursted to flames.

Scar's hand slammed into the gun's backing just as it reloaded, and the thing blew sky high. From across the room, the transmutation circles that had been drawn haphazardly on the floor suddenly came alive, and great vines shot up the tunnel walls, wrapping tight around the barrels of the guns until the objects backfired loudly.

"YEAH!" Ed slapped hands with Fletcher, both grinning. Roy smirked at their antics, but then caught sight of a shadowy figure approaching.

"Trouble," he said, and the rest of the group turned in the direction he was looking.

* * *

Approaching them, fully-dressed in his uniform, was King Bradley. He smirked cockily, and laughed as he saw them. "So, Colonel Mustang, you've brought all these young people with you? I knew you had a group of followers, but I didn't think this many people wanted to die."

"Bradley-" Roy started. His hand clutched tight, and his fingers came together as if to snap. His mind searched for a retort, but all he could think of was a question that had plagued him for a time now. "W-why did you frame me, so that I'd be put in prison?"

"Actually, that was Envy's plan. It worked out well: we got rid of the "Nosy Alchemist", and I had no blame for it."

"Why you-" Roy was about to thrust his flames at Bradley, but Ed reached out and snatched the Taisa's arms, to hold him back. From behind him, a hand touched Roy's shoulder. But the hand was too large to be Edwards.

"Leave him to me. Killing a State Alchemist, the same one responsible for killing my people, and also a homunculus, is my idea of glory. You must keep going."

Nodding, Roy looked to everyone. "Come on, let's go." They started past Bradley, all but Edward, who lagged behind, looking troubled.

"But, Scar-" Ed started. He didn't know this man, but he didn't like the idea of anyone fighting alone. However, it just now occured that they would have to split up, now wouldn't they? He lowered his head.

"Go, Edward Elric." Scar stepped ahead of them , towards Bradley. Looking back once more, he added, "I hope you find what you're looking for. Take care of your brother."

Ed nodded. "Good luck," he whispered, moving on as he heard Roy call his name.

* * *

Their next opponent wasn't too far done the tunnel from there, but it was in a very odd setting. The tunnel had gone from pure Earth to what seemed like a jungle. Vines and moss clung to everything, and a small stream trickled through. The group figured that there must be an underground water deposit somewhere nearby.

"Stay sharp," Roy said, but, just as he was speaking, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, which caused his knees to drop out from under him.

"Roy!" Ed moved to his side, but Roy shoved him away just as a small figure lunged from up above, and nearly slammed into Edward. The attacker, a young boy with grayish hair and matching gray-purple eyes, looked up at them all with a wicked smile.

"What's tha-"

"YOU!" Wrath waved an accusing finger at Edward. "Your body, as of today, is MINE!" He leaped at Ed, his hand shooting out to punch the older boy hard across the face, but his attack missing as the vines from underfoot shot up, entangling themselves around his wrists and legs.

He struggled, grunting with piteous cries, and Roy and Ed looked oer in the direction of the two Agricultural alchemists.

"Leave this kid to us," Russel said.

"We can handle him," added Fletcher. "Just bring back some proof that the stone exists, okay, little big brother?" He looked at Ed, who nodded, and, this time, wasted no time in moving on.

Roy lagged this time, but, just long enough to make sure that he fully trusted the two. What choice did he have? He wished them good fortune, silently, and then moved on rapidly after the others.

* * *

And now there were six of them left, and five homunculus. The question that stood now, was just how long would the alchemists last against the homunculus? This was the time. This was when they had to prove their mettle, or fall.

And, from up ahead in the tunnel, four dark figures watched.

The first, with his long, spiked hair, laughed menacingly, the sound echoing off the walls into infinity. "I don't know, Lust, they're pretty brave aren't they? And pretty pesky. That FullMetal shrimp...I thought he'd have had a good enough taste of death by now...and the tall one..."

"Envy, don't get any ideas," Lust chided. "Go get in position."

Envy snickered, then turned to one of the others, "Let's go...Greed."

Lust waited until they were gone, then looked to the last figure, which happened to be Gluttony. "Better go get ready, Gluttony. It's time for dinner."

"I can eat them, Lust?" wailed Gluttony, gleefully.

"Go ahead."

**

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**

**_To Be Continued..._**


	40. Chapter 40

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning**__**

* * *

** _

**Chapter XL**

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**

"I am your next opponent."

Roy turned, just in time to see a female figure, draped all in black, from long hair that he would guess was almost as oily as Kimbree's, to a matching black dress. She looked like some evil, fire-breathing dragon out of a fairy tale, at least to him. Apparently, Edward agreed.

Havoc, on the other hand, had a more intimate knowledge of the woman then the others did. He had dated her for a while, and it was her fault that he had almost been crippled for life. If it hadn't been for Roy's quick thinking then, Havoc could have even died.

Jean dropped his cigarette to the ground, crushing it out with his foot. "Good to see you again, babe," he flirted, though his voice was as cold as ice.

"Lieutenant Havoc, what a suprise. It seems all the riff-raff are gathering against us homunculus, now doesn't it?"

Havoc frowned, turning quickly to Roy with a probing gaze. His voice was perfectly straight-forward. "Mustang, I want to fight her. Alone."

"You can't do that, Jean," Roy stated, watching the homunculus with a careful eye. She seemed quite intrigued by the whole matter, her fingers growing into long claws sheathed by black gloves, which she then proceeded to...sharpen?...on a nearby stone.

"What? Mustang, come on, I-" Havoc cried, looking bewildered.

Roy's gaze quickly turned stony cold, and he glared at his former subordinate. "No. Havoc, she has memorized your every attack. You wouldn't stand a chance, and I'm not sending one of my subordinates; no, one of my friends, to the slaughter-house just because he wants a chance at a woman who did him wrong."

Havoc snarled back, not bothering to restrain himself, "But isn't that what YOU'RE doing with that other homunculus? You really think you stand a chance? If we're going to die, let's at least go out proudly!"

Roy was taken aback by this, and the suprise showed in his eyes, but, by now, the others had joined them, and before he had a chance to say anything, Barry the Chopper was moving purposefully away from the crowd, towards the homunculus. Winry and Edward hung back a little from the rest, both not quite sure what this deal was about.

"Barry, I didn't tell you to-" Roy started, but Barry cut him off.

"My, my, what a fine body. It's the Miss from Lab 5. Ooooh, how long have I waited to chop THAT body up?" His cleaver was suddenly hoisted high upon his heavy-plated shoulder, and his mask glimmered with a malicious gleam.

Lust rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Oh, it's you. Haven't you had enough yet you slobbering mongrel?I don't have time today to deal with weaklings, especially stray mutts like you."

"Insults won't work on me; I invented the trick."

"Oh, did you now?" Lust replied, mocking him with a sleazy grin. "A hunk ofjunk like you wouldn't be called witty even by a street-trash-talking bum."

Barry's metallic frame shivered with delight. "Ooh, just thinking of how I could chop you up is giving me chills. Don't entice me any further or I may just have to..." But Lust was on him now. Moving with the speed of a wild cheetah, she leapt at her quarry, claws outstretched.

Ed watched at Barry parried, then flung the homunculus aside.The two fighters were exchanging blows now, heated so in their battle that they were in a world of their own: Edward, Roy, and the others no longer existed to them, only the matter at hand.

"Uh, shouldn't we try and-" Winry asked, but Roy said, before she could finish, "Miss Rockbell, you stay here with them."

"WHAT?" both she and Havoc cried at the same time. Havoc immediately launched into an arguement about how she was just a young girl and she shouldn't have to do this sort of task so early on.

Roy didn't falter in his decision, however. Turning to Havoc, he said, "Miss Rockbell knows more about mechanics then any of us. And, as Ed has told me, she can hold her own for a while. It makes sense to leave her with the most metal-operated one of our team, doesn't it? And, consider the fact that we are headed for a thousand times more danger ahead." He paused and scratched his head in a thoughtful manner, then closed his eyes with finality. "No, it's better she stay here."

Havoc's head dropped, his ephemeral happiness vanishing like a summer storm. There was no arguing with the Colonel's logic. It looked like he would say goodbye now. So, with all the strength he could muster, he looked at the young girl and smiled.

"See ya 'round," he said.

Winry nodded, but, as the trio walked onwards, she couldn't help but stifle a sob, watching her two blonde-haired bishounens heading towards their ultimate doom. With tears in her eyes, she turned away from the scene, back to the fighting, and picked up her wrench. 'I'm going to hit that homunculus,' she thought, looking towards Lust. 'And hit her good for messing with my guys.'

* * *

"There's the door," Roy said, casting his gaze upon an iron gate ahead, twice as large as any normal door, but managing to look quite rustic in the cavern. The thing was decorated in alchemic symbols even, as if it were the treasure chest in a pirate story.

"The door..." whispered Edward, looking up at it from Roy's side. Something in his voice quivered as he said it, and that quiver caused a sudden pang of concern to shoot through Mustang, who turned to look at his friend.

Ed was sweating lightly, the salty dew falling from his neck and face to drench the collar of his shirt. With fearful eyes, the boy was staring upon the door, his hands were clenched, his shoulders shaking.

"Ed?" whispered Roy.

"The door...the gate...the Truth..."

"Edward, snap out of it!" Roy yelled, at the same time as Havoc snapped, "Elric, what the hell's wrong?" Roy's hand moved to Ed's shoulders and he shook the boy sharply, trying to dislodge him from this momentary lapse into the world of nightmares and fearful uncertainty.

"The Truth is behind the Gate that leads to the other world called London. There's...there's nothing good behind that Gate except pure equivalent exchange." Ed's eyes, misted over, looked to Roy. "We're going to die. Father's in there. Riza Hawkeye, Maes Hughes, Mother..." Then, just as quickly as the spasm started, it ceased in a sudden convulsion, and Ed's body collapsing to the ground below.

Roy reached out and steadied the boy's fall, catching him and cradling him. He looked to Havoc, a worried thought passing through his mind, forcing his brow to crease. While Jean looked purely creeped out, Roy was mostly curious. His own eyes slightly misted, though in thought not in trance, Roy whispered, "Riza..."

A jumbled slur of jargon from behind them forced Roy and Havoc to spin, just in time to see a fat blob enter the room that could have put the Pillsberry Doughboy to shame. His homunculus outfit was stratched over gargantuan thighs and meaty arms, not to mention a stomach that probably had it's own ecosystem.

Havoc was throughly weirded out. "That is the fugliest thing I have EVER seen," he stated aside to Roy, who merely stared at the creature that was advancing upon them. He was unaware if they should feel threatened or not. The being looked harmless...enough.

"Lust says to eat you, so...I eat you now, bye bye," the monster (Gluttony, Roy supposed) informed them. His pudgy hand gripped a nearby bar, and as the two watched, he picked it up, shoved it in his mouth, and it dissolved in a hiss of acidic slobber.

Havoc rolled his eyes, "Oh lovely, a acid-breathing fat-ass."

Roy looked over to Havoc, and repositioned Ed in his arms, realizing the young blonde was starting to slip out of his grasp. "I doubt it would be a good idea to taunt the thing, Lieutenant." He started to hold up one gloved hand to fry said thing, but Havoc held up his metal hand and pushed Roy's away.

"I can handle this. You and Ed have to get through that door. Go now."

"But, Havo-"

"If..." Havoc said, pausing with a heavy sigh, "If I don't make it, please...know that you were.." He started to run forward, whipping out a gun and clicking the rounds into place as Gluttony began to stumble to meet his attack. "You were a great Colonel."

BAM! The gun went off like a rocket, and acid saliva flew through the air. Havoc's body doubled as a heavy fist slammed directly into his ribs, but the homunculus also seemed stunned by the bullet wound in it's gaping maw.

"HAVOC!" screamed Roy, knowing that this couldn't be a more precarious situation. Havoc was most likely feeling quite a few broken ribs right now, and that would give him a weak start on a fight that was life or death. Mustang wanted to help, but with ed in his arms, there wasn't much he could do.

"Go..." Havoc grumbled. "Go now." He turned his head in a terribly slow manner to stare at Roy, a tiny smirk making its way across his features, contorting the ice blue eyes into soft, affectionate pools. "Go, my Fuhrer."

Roy nodded, turned, and, with one last look back at his friend, and a single tear sliding down his cheek, Mustang was gone.

* * *

"Welcome-" cried Envy, his serpentine body sliding from the shadows of the nearly pitch-black room, long locks hanging from his shoulders all the way down to his feet. A conniving sneer was plastered on his youthful features, and he waved an arm to encompass all that was around them. "-to my humble abode. I wasn't sure you would make it, Colonel Mustang."

Roy's teeth gritted, his eyes narrowing to slits. Fury lined his features, and, as he knelt to lay Ed lightly on the ground, his eyes were forever locked on Envy's. "You've taken it all from me now, bastard. Of course I would make it this far, just to see my revenge through to the end."

"Revenge? Big threat from a mere mortal," Envy replied, nonchantaly. "Wouldn't you agree, Greed?"

Riza's form stepped out from behind Envy, her head bowed respectfully, but her eyes, which glowed brilliant gold in the darkness, were on Roy. There wasn't any clear emotion in them, just like when he had seen her before, but he knew she was deep in thought.

Roy's eyes took her in, from her long, flowing hair, to the State Uniform that she wore, complete with (almost as if it were just to entice him) a small skirt. This was no light inspection, either, because his eyes searched, delving deep into her very being, examining every inch of her, committing it to memory.

Because...because this was to be the last he would ever see of Hawkeye.

Looking directly at Envy, he growled, "Enough of your games. This ends here."

**

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**

**_To Be Continued..._**


	41. Chapter 41

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning**__**

* * *

** _

**Chapter XLI**

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**

The ground quaking beneath his feet, Envy offered Mustang a pitiless look, knowing full-well that the war was just beginning in the very underground tunnels that they were standing in. However, if the former Colonel wanted to finish things quickly, then Envy would be all-too-happy to oblige. "If you're so eager to "end it", then come at me," Envy badgered.

Roy's teeth gritted tightly, knashing like fearsome predator's fangs. His single step forward was graceful, but heavy, a savannah lion pitted against a snake. It was an even match in his mind's eye, because a lion would surely have the brute force and power needed to rip a serpent to shreds, but there had been several times that a snakes venom had brought down even the mightiest of all creatures. Looks like it would just be a contest of who could strike fastest.

Unfortunately, Roy seemed to have forgotten that he had not come here alone. Just as he was about to strike, a figure slinked by him, throwing him off. He turned just in time to see the feminine form of Greed, curled over Edward's unconcious body, sharp cat claws pressed to the boy's soft neck as if to tear his throat. As if to murder him.

Ed, unknowingly, gave a weak cry, which moved Roy's heart to lurch in his chest and knock rather loudly against his ribs. His foot moved in Ed's direction, to assist his comrade, but Envy clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth dissaprovingly.

"My, my, you get distracted so easily. If you want the kid to live, then fight me. Otherwise, my dear half-sister won't have any trouble finishing him off." Envy's legs bent at the knees and he dropped into a fighting stance, one hand outstretched, beckoning Roy on.

Mustang turned sharply to face his opponent, his hand slipping simultaneously to snap, flames blazing up around the homunculus. But Envy was too quick. Leaping backwards into the air, the homunculus somersaulted several times, before landing before Roy, and swinging his leg up to catch the Colonel sharply in the jaw. Roy ducked, pivoted, and recoiled from his opponent, throwing up his defenses to ward off Envy's attacks.

Envy, pleased, came at Roy again and again with kicks; right kick followed by left kick followed by right kick and so on. "You've gotten stronger...or smarter."

"Yeah, well," Roy grunted, his arms taking the blows, but holding strong, like the walls of a fort. "I'm tired of losing the people I care about."

"And so you think you'll do something about it?"

Roy saw his opening, swung back a fist, and caught Envy squarely on the jaw. "That's the plan."

* * *

Ed coughed, his hands catching on the hard ground beneath him, his cool, deep eyes blinking like tiny stars in an effort to awaken. To his suprise, it was not Roy whom he woke to find over him, it was Hawkeye.

"Hawkeye?" he asked, confused. At an attempt to sit up, he quickly realized the predicament he was in, and, startled, choked out, "Wh-what's going on?"

"Quiet.." her voice whispered in his ear. There was calculation, thought, in her tone, as if she wasn't quite sure what she would do yet, and hadn't even figured out why she was holding him hostage. She had a sharp mind, though, and quite quickly found words to supplement her answers with. "I won't harm you, so long as you stay still."

"W-where's Roy?" Ed asked, careful to speak slowly, and to not move.

"Fighting. With Envy." Her eyes were focused on the battle, and Ed noted that she wouldn't look at him. No, he found that, when he looked at the battle scene as well, her eyes were rooted on Roy Mustang. Soft, endless pools of crystal clear water were her orbs, gazing upon Mustang as if she couldn't make out exactly why she was drawn to him. But, even with his amnesia, Edward knew the story all-too-well.

His body lurched, and he felt her claws dig lightly into his neck, blood trickling down. In a slight fit of convulsion, he fell back against the ground, coughing up a spatter of blood from his fresh wound, and squeezing his eyes shut to blot out the pain that now coarsed through him.

Turning to him, snarling like a wild beast, she shot, "I told you not to move!"

"I-I'm...sorry...I...my body hurts...I can't-" Ed choked on his words, his voice turning to sharp cries gradually. "I can't...I'm starting to remember...The-the gate, and f-father.."

"What...what the hell are you talking about?" She asked, backing slightly away, unsure, suspicious of his every movement.

There would be no answer from Ed, however, for before he had time to, his fate came at him in the form of a lithe young teen who was fed up with the entire fight altogether.

* * *

From Hughes to Havoc to Breda, Fury, Falman, and Armstrong,Envy switched, taunting Roy on in the many different voices of the Taisa's comrades. One minute, he was a small boy with a pistol, the next he was a friendly-looking Lieutenant Colonel with vicious blades cutting at Roy's flesh.

Then, with a surge of power, his body turned to Roy himself, and he flung out an arm, knocking Mustang down, letting a light wave of flames lick at the Colonel's falling body. Cruel laughter erupted from a voice that matched Mustang's without a flaw.

As Roy Mustang found himself on the ground once more, he cried, gripping the wound on his shoulder which ha healed to a light bruise over the past month, and was now feircely bleeding again from a stray stab by Envy. Okay, so he no longer had the upper hand. If he stayed still for a moment's length and caught his breath, perhaps he could make the final blow? Then again, Envy wasn't looking too fatigued. That and Roy knew he wouldn't last long himself if he didn't get a little medical care immediately.

There had to be a way! He slammed his fist against the ground, and cried, "Dammit!"

"What's the matter, Colonel?" Envy asked, but Roy heard another voice in the same direction of the homunculus's. Ed's voice.

"Roy! H-help!" Ed cried.

"Let him go!" Greed's voice rang out, so very much like Hawkeye's soft voice, crying out for mercy.

Roy's head turned slowly in that direction, and his mouth fell agape. Envy was right there, with Ed held high in the air by the collar of his shirt, just as the homunculus had held Riza Hawkeye. Fear hung like mist in the young Elric's eyes as his hands sought to release Envy's grip. And, at Envy's side, Greed stood, pulling at his other, free arm, frantic, worry creasing her brows.

"Let the boy go! Envy, let him-"

"SHUT UP!" Envy growled, as if he were some commander, forcing a private back into their own rank. His leg lashed out, and Hawkeye's form cried as she fell back to the ground, pained.

Roy moved forward, but Envy held up the body higher. "Move and the boy dies."

"Ed..." whispered Roy.

"No, don't do it!" Hawkeye cried.

* * *

In that instant, death, in its metaphorical form,flew into the room on raven-black wings and settled itself in the very highest point of the room, nestled in where no one would see it.At least not yet.

Envy, holding up Edward's form, allowed the boy to gaze upon Mustang one last time. Ed whimpered softly, his voice pressing Roy to run, begging for Roy's life and safety, but his pleading fell on deaf ears. His struggling, in vain, ceased, and he was the picture now of calm, complacent looks, ready for whatever came at him.

But it wasn't him that Envy was after, not just yet. In the time it would take lightning to strike, Envy flung down Edward's body and leaped at Roy, transmuting himself into Edward's form, right arm shifting to an automail dagger which was pointed directly at Roy's heart. All Mustang could do was dazedly brace himself for the blow that he knew would be his deathblow.

It never came.

As the dust around them settled, the first thing Roy saw was Envy, staring at him, fear and uncertainty in his eyes, which returned to their normal size and shape the second he returned to his own form. Taking a staggering step back, Envy whispered, "What...what did I...what have I...what have I done?"

The very next thing Roy saw was Edward.

Edward slipping to the ground, eyes fogged, mouth slack, shoulders slumped. Blood dripped from a deep cut right in Ed's chest where his heart should have been.

Ed, in his final moments, staring up at Roy.

Smiling.

**

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**_To Be Continued..._**


	42. Chapter 42: Drawing Near

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning**__**

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**Chapter XLII: We Draw Close to a Finale...**

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**

Havoc shoved the gluttonous being from him, watching it go rolling off to the side like a giant, human-shaped marble. Grinning, one hand clutching his side, due to what he belived was a broken rib, triumph danced in his eyes. This monster was too easy. It was like a cakewalk compared to when the other homunculus had attacked.

Gluttony regained his footing, casting a hungered, angered scowl at Havoc. His tongue hung from his mouth, dripping acid that sizzled as it hit the ground.

"What? You want to go another round?" Havoc asked, stepping forward, his gun slipping out and pointed at the being. "Alright, but don't blame me for your injury." His hand moved slowly from his side to clutch the gun, and his mind raced. one shot. All he needed was one shot to maim this beast and then he could catch up with the others.

Just as he thought, the homunculus charged him, head on, mouth open, and...

"EDWARD!"

The highest, most piercing scream that Havoc had ever heard echoed off the walls, filling him with a terrible feeling of dread. It was the kind of sound someone would only make if...if...well, he couldn't place it. He had never heard something so full of agony and sorrow.

And it had come from Mustang, that much was sure. "Oh God..." Havoc thought, fear coarsing through him. He knew what he had to do now. He had to get to Mustang and Edward before...well, before anything else happened to them.

Sadly, this scream had distracted him from hismark, and, when Gluttony was inches from him, Havoc's hand wavered. he shot, but missed. The bullet whizzed past Gluttony's bulbous head just as the homunculus sank his jaws into Havoc's good arm. Jean cried out, feeling the blood and flesh of his arm burning away, a horrible sensation.

His mind could only think, "Must...get to Roy...and Ed..", his body struggling fiercely to get out of Gluttony's grip, but failing miserably. The more he moved, the deeper the acid went. With finality, however, he hefted his gun and...

"BANG!" It blew straight through Gluttony's cranium and Havoc felt the jaws releasing their grip, letting him have his window of opportunity. His chance was now. With all the strength and courage inside him, Havoc held his bleeding, torn arm with his automail one, and stumbled towards the doors to where his comrades were.

* * *

"EDWARD!" Roy screamed, his body collapsing to the ground beside his friends. His hands moved, shakily, blindly forward, wrapping themselves around the boy's small frame, already clammy with the onset of coldness in his veins. Mustang felt tears streaming down his face, but he knew there was nothing he could do to stop them. He had just felt it, that pang of sorrow that filled you so deep, it tore you from yourself.

In a stupor, he curled his body protectively around Ed's, his eyes trying to avert themselves from the gaping hole in the body of his closest, dearest friend. "Ed..." he whispered. "Ed...I.."

Edward's voice came, ragged and out of breath, his body shuddering with his every word. "I...Mustang...my memory...it...it's coming back...but I.." Tears filled his beautiful, fogged eyes, and he gave a choked sob. "I can't...remember...how we met..."

Roy felt a cry catch in his throat, and he fell forward, his head resting against Ed's shoulder. How foolish, as always. FullMetal was always so foolish. Even in a time like this. Instead of worrying about his own fatality, Edward was sorrowed that he couldn't remember Mustang better. It was that devotion which touched Roy so deep...and he knew now, at last, the extent of his love for Edward Elric.

* * *

"...Colonel..." whispered Greed, taking a step towards the two men on the floor, her hand out, as if reaching for the raven-haired man. Fear and shock nestled in her eyes, which seemed, for once, almost entirely human. Her instinct was to help them, but she couldn't seem to be able. It was like her body wouldn't let her.

"Greed. Let's go," Envy commanded, his eyes mirroring her own. They were cast upon FullMetal, and he knew he was going to be in quite a deal of jeopardy now. Hohenheim's one rule was that the boy shouldn't be harmed. Even though Envy had always wanted to kill his father, he knew the strength the Light Alchemist possessed, and didn't want said strength expended against him until he was ready.

It was time to escape.

When Greed didn't follow his orders, he snarled, "Now."

"But...Envy, they-" She whispered back, looking at him with eyes softened by kindness.

"Who gives a fuck, Greed? We need to get the hell out of here. Now!" His form dissapeared into the darkness of the tunnel leading into the back rooms of this place.

Hawkeye's form cast one last look back at Mustang and Ed, and, without a single word, her head hung low and she walked away. It didn't do any good to stay around here when she knew she couldn't help them, and Envy was right. Why should a homunculus "give a fuck" anyway?

Maybe, just maybe, it was because she could remember...she could remember a man, almost ina hazy daydream,who had once taken care of her, once been the closest she had to a friend. Were these...memories? If so, whose were they? Did they belong to this "Riza" that he kept mistaking her for? These questions would soon need answers, but, for now, she just had to dissapear into the darkness like Envy.

She paused at the entrance to the tunnel, and whispered, "Good luck," to the two, who she knew didn't hear her. Then, she vanished.

* * *

"Oh my God..." Havoc whispered, walking slowly up behind Roy. The Colonel's back was blocking the view mostly, but he could make out the deep gash in Ed's chest, and Havoc realized that the boy wasn't going to make it. His steps moved from a slow approach to a quick run and he was almost instantly by Roy's side, kneeling over the young Elric's body.

"H-h-havoc.." Ed whispered, a word probably meant more as a greeting.

Roy sobbed steadily into Ed's shoulder. At the boy's soft word, he inclined his head in an excrutiatingly slow manner to stare up at his friend. His eyes didn't even see the man's bloody arm, only Havoc's own, caring eyes. Roy's mouth moved in an almost frantic stutter, "H-h-he...saved me, Jean...E-ed saved me...But I...I couldn't protect him. P-please, you've got to help.."

Havoc was about to speak when Ed's slender hand moved from where it had been laying on the ground, and brushed against Mustang's face, effectively wiping away the tears. His voice came once more, and Roy could hear it fading. "Why...are you still here? The...Philosopher's...Stone...it's only ashort ways away...Go...go, Mustang.."

Roy's eyes glowered, "Ed! I can't leave you like this!"

"You...you can, Roy...Go get the stone.." Ed's eyes started to close, his head falling off to the side.

"No! I won't...Havoc, talk some sense into him!" Roy cried, looking from Ed to Havoc and back again. The tears in his deep black eyes shimmered, and he looked at the end of his rope. He didn't want to lose Ed. He couldn't lose Ed. He wouldn't leave him here like this to die alone.

Havoc pondered it for a moment's time, then, slowly, his gaze turned to Roy. In his eyes, he drew up all the reserve he could find, and spoke slowly, steadily. "Mustang, Ed's right. You have to finish what you came here for."

"But-"

"You can't do anything just sitting here. You would just be watching Ed die and I don't think he wants you to see that. You need to go and get that stone. Not just because we need it anymore." He paused, and looked at Edward, and the state of the boy gave Havoc courage to say what he needed to say. "Roy, you need to get that stone because its the only thing that can save Ed."

Mustang's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't thought of it that way, not yet at least. The Philosopher's Stone of course! It could heal this wound like it was nothing. It could save Ed's life, if he got it in time. If. Hesitation spread across Roy's face. "But...what if I don't make it back in time?"

"Leave it in my hands, Taisa. I'll make sure the kid doesn't die until you get back with the Stone. I swear to it."

Mustang nodded, very slowly, and looked at Ed once more, who was apparently still awake, but was resting, trying to save up the last of his energy. Was it time to say goodbye?

"Havoc, I need a moment alone with Ed."

* * *

Away from the prying eyes of the homunculus, and with Havoc on gaurd for any suspicious intruders that might break up their last few minutes together, Roy nestled his head against Ed's shoulder. His gloved hand ran back through the boy's beautiful hair, his hand working efficiently to remove the hair tie that kept the Elric boy's hair back in a braid.

"You're so beautiful, Edward...You could have been a girl in another life, you know.." Roy crooned, trying to hold back his last tears.

Ed smiled in response, looking up at Roy with those soft eyes. He didn't have the enrgy to speak any more, so Ed had only to content himself with Roy's touch, and the fact that Roy knew how much Edward loved him. His memories were returning, gradually, and every now and then there would be a tiny spark in the boy's misted eyes, a sign of rememberance.

"You should wear your hair down more often..." Roy's hand slipped from tousling Ed's hair to rest against his chest, as far from the wound as he could. He felt the firm muscles underneath the thin linen of Ed's shirt, and he almost thought he would cry again. Ed was so young. He wasn't even in the prime of his life yet, but he had gone through this, all of it, with Mustang, as if he were just another adult.

And Roy had never given him enough credit for that.

Ed's hand moved slowly, but Roy still didn't see it coming. The teenager's hand brushed against Roy's eye, wiping away a stray tear that Mustang hadn't noticed. "Mustang..." Ed whispered. "I...I...love you.." Their eyes met in an ephemeral glance, and, suddenly, Roy leaned forward.

Mustang's lips caught Ed's in a firm kiss, drawing out from Ed's heart every feeling that he had ever had for Roy. It was the ost passionate embrace that they had ever had, filled with melancholy and apprehension, for they knew this was probably their last one. Everything that the two had hidden for so long came out now. Roy's hands caressed Ed's waist, reaching up under the shirt to feel Elric's cool flesh.

Ed's hands, weakened so that they could hardly move, clutched Roy's shirt. Both men cried, tears running down their faces, taking in every sensation of these last few minutes.

* * *

It seemed all-too-soon that Havoc returned to them, and Roy was forced to part with Ed. Looking back from the tunnel's entrance where the homunculus had gone, Roy knew it was time, at last. No matter how much he didn't want to, it was time.

Time for goodbyes.

"I won't let you go before me," Roy whispered to himself. "Farewell, Ed."

**

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**_To Be Continued..._**


	43. Chapter 43

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning**__**

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**Chapter XLIII**

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"God Damn it!" Envy snarled, pacing back and forth, aggitated. The soft sand under his bare feet felt like scorching fire, the rocky walls of the tunnel around him seemed to be closing in. The homunculus' face was contorted into a demonic image of itself, the eyes darkened, the mouth a thin angry line.

Greed was sitting on the sands nearby, not looking overly pleased either. Her icy orbs were downcast, her lips drawn in a saddened frown. Her hair fell about her shoulders, and she fiddled with her skirt absently, as if it were bothering her. "Well, Envy, what do we do now?"

"I don't know yet!" Envy snapped at her, whirling to face her with his dark eyes blazing. "Give me a minute to think. Damn that kid for getting in the way!"

"He just...wanted to protect his friend. Is that so bad?" she asked, her voice soft.

Envy growled and resumed pacing. "He didn't have to go and fucking get himself killed. Hohenheim's going to melt us both down, just like Greed."

She didn't respond, just looked at the ground. So that's what happened to her predecessor? He got melted down by Envy's creator? Well, no one had told her. It was an interesting thing to consider. She waited several minutes before asking, in an amiable tone, "Couldn't we just run?"

"Don't be stupid. He'd find us quickly. You forget he's got the rest of the homunculus jumping to his every wish."

She was about to speak, when they were both interrupted by a loud, angered voice from the entrace to this tunnel. "ENVY!"

Envy turned his head as if only remotely bothered by the intruder. It was a feeling akin to that a person would have for a fly buzzing around their head. "Oh, it's you," he stated, his mouth frowning now with disapproval. "I don't have time to play with you now, Colonel."

Greed looked up from her perch, noticing that Roy Mustang was indeed standing just in the entryway, and man did he look dishevelled. His hair was unkempt, and his military clothes were tarnished with dust and dirt. His obsidian eyes were like cracked black windows, his stance aggressive.

"Damn right we don't. I'm going to kill you and take that stone of yours, you bastard."

"Ho, hum, sorry chum but I don't have the time," Envy toyed with Roy, wickedly. "Oh that's right!" he said, as if suddenly remembering something. "I killed your little friend, didn't I?"

Roy's temper snapped. He walked forward towards Envy, doing all he could to restrain himself from blowing the thing to pieces right there on the spot. His voice was shaky with his rage. "Ed's not going to die."

Envy matched Roy's strides now, as if mocking him. His mouth slipped to a cocky sort of smirk, ready to take on Mustang. It was, in Envy's eyes, an easy fight. Roy's shoulder wound had long since reopened, and his arm had a couple nice scratches. That, and Roy's side had been hurting him a few minutes ago when they were last engaged in battle.

"Oh yeah?" Envy asked, his voice cruel.

"Yeah," Roy said, his voice shaking only lightly as he said it. Three feet from Envy, he stopped. Envy mirrored this, and now they both stood, facing each other. All the pent up rage and frustration, all the sorrow, all the loss and confusion, everything...it all built up to this moment.

* * *

"Edward, come on, hang in there..." Havoc whispered. His own voice was hardly a whisper coming from a body that was slowly suffering under blood loss. His vision swam, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. His hands quickly ripped off strips of his shirt, which he plastered against Ed's wound, but to no avail. The blood came as quickly as he could cover it.

Ed's hand clutched Havoc's free hand with all it's might, his head resting against the ground, his chest forcing every little breath out of him with great difficulty. His eyes were closed, and he was focusing with all his might on staying alive, at least until Roy got back, however the chances of this were quite unlikely. His body was already starting to turn cold, his heart slowing steadily.

"Come on, Ed...don't make me screw up my promise to Mus-" Havoc paused as a strange noise flitted to his ears. The sound of...chewing?

Acting on impulse, his feet shot out from under him and he flung himself backwards, just as a ginormous hand grabbed the air where he had been seconds before. Whirling around, Havoc glared at the fatty blob of a homunculus, and gritted his teeth. "Gluttony." He addressed the being, who seemed upset at having missed it's prey.

It turned its head to Edward, but decided quite quickly that the kid was too small and bony for it's liking, and then Gluttony turned on Havoc once more and gave a horrendous snickering noise, it's tongue flopping out of its mouth.

Havoc clutched his side with his good hand, and his mind raced drowsily. "Crap. This isn't good. That thing'll kill me. With broken ribs, and a arm that looks like it went down the garbage disposal..." But he knew there wasn't anything else he could do. He made a promise to Roy, and he'd be damned if he didn't keep it.

Grabbing up his gun, he aimed it at the creature and waited. Sure enough, Gluttony charged. Havoc shot, but the bullet hit the homunculus' stomach and barely fazed the thing. It charged, full-on, and Havoc could see his life flash before his eyes, with the last thought, "Killed by a giant blob. God, I have the worst luck."

But it wasn't the end yet. Not even close. Just as the homunculus was about to hit him, Havoc heard a girlish voice scream, "JEAN! DUCK!"

Now, when someone tells you to duck, you don't just stand there and stare stupidly. You duck. It's instinct. Havoc was no exception. As he heard the voice, he dove for cover, and was hardly suprised to see a rather bulky-looking hammer come flying from the shadows, and slam right into Gluttony's head.

The homunculus, of course, went flying.

Havoc waited a few seconds before standing up, and when he did, he blinked, confusedly around. His face settled into a light smile upon seeing who his savior was: a chick with long blonde hair and a scarf over her head, wearing cargo pants and a tube top. And sporting a rather exhausted smile.

"Winry!" he said, starting towards her, but pausing when he realized that the homunculus might still come after them. He turned, looking for it, and could hardly help but laugh when he finally saw the thing. It was lying on the ground like the heap of trash it was, and a large bump stuck out of the creature's forehead where the wrench had hit. It was, most definately, unconcious.

"ED!" Winry cried, waking Havoc from his humorous thoughts. He turned towards the girl, only to find her sitting next to Edward, shaking his shoulders lightly to 'wake' him.

"Hey, hey...Winry, don't move him...He's really badly hurt," Havoc said, striding over and seating himself beside them.

Winry looked up at him and gasped, fright popping into her eyes. Laying Edward down, she turned towards him and...

Havoc was confused. "Something wrong?"

"Y-your arm.." she pointed to it, and then looked straight into his eyes, her own filled with confusion, fear.

"Oh, this? That "thing" got it...I...I'll probably need some more automail," he said, looking at his massacred limb like it was hardly a price to be paid. To him, it was, since Edward and Roy were at risk right now to lose not just their limbs, but also their lives.

"Oh...Havoc..." she said, her lip quivering.

'Uh oh," Havoc thought, sure that she was going to beam him with a wrench for being so stupid as to get himself hurt like this. But, she did about the exact opposite. Falling against him, she grabbed hold of his shirt and buried her face in it, sobbing piteously.

He sweatdropped slightly, and would have said something to comfort her, had not a bigger problem arised just then. A much bigger problem. Havoc looked out of the corner of his eye to check on Ed's status as he held Winry, wanting to make sure that Ed was alright after that encounter with the homunculus.

And Ed had stopped breathing.

**

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**_To Be Continued..._**


	44. Chapter 44

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning**__**

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**Chapter XLIV**

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Roy snapped his fingers about fifty times in succession, flames shooting everywhere, licking along the walls like golden-red flowers. His teeth were gritted, and his legs pulled him through the fires in pursuit of the quick-moving homunculus, who leapt this way and that, flipping backwards, climbing across the walls with the ease of a primate to get out of the way.

"Is that all you've got?" Envy mocked, land9ing gracefully on the ground, and then immediately ducking low and diving out of the way of another round of flame.

"It'll be enough to finish you!" Roy half-snarled, half-screamed at Envy, charging forward and letting loose another round of explosives.

Envy dodged this; Roy followed up with another shot, and another, and then he saw his opening. Just as Envy back-flipped out of the way, Roy ran up behind him and blasted. The homunculus' body flew through the air, crashing to the ground before he even knew what was going on.

Roy stalked towards his prey as Envy spat out a tiny drop of blood, brushing himself off and standing. Mustang was quicker this time, though. Reaching out, he grabbed Envy by the neck and held him up off the ground.

Envy growled lowly, but his mouth was twisted in a nasty smirk of pleasure.

"Where's the stone?" Roy asked, his eyes narrowed to slits, his voice dead-serious.

"How the hell should I know?"

SMASH! Roy's fist connected with Envy's face and sent the homunculus flying. "Wrong answer."

Envy, now back on the ground, scrambled to his feet. His teeth were gritted in agony and irritation, his fists clenched tight. "Like I'd ever tell someone like YOU, bastard."

Roy advanced, holding up his hand to snap. "You would if you knew what was good for you."

Envy clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Like I care." In one fluid movement, his long pale limbs changed to shorter metal and flesh limbs, his dress changing from deep black to wearing a red coat. He shrunk in size, and long golden locks sprung from his spiked hair.

He grinned in Ed's very own form. "I'm just getting started." Diving at Roy, the homunculus flashed his metal arm into a steel blade, which he swung with abandon at Roy's head. Mustang, of course, ducked. Another swing, another duck.

They advanced backwards and forwards across the tunnel, as if they were partners in a deadly dance. The first one to mess up was going to die, and the footsteps to this dance were difficult, and subject to change with any passing second. Envy's attack was furious, and Roy's gaurd was just as strong. Flames and metal flying everywhere, they kept on and on..

Then, without warning, Envy dropped to the ground, lashed out a leg, and tripped Mustang. Roy, in turn, crashed to the floor, and, unable to get up in time, found a blade gleaming in his face. It hung there, inches from his jugular, inches from taking away his life.

His eyes roamed from the blade up to its bearer. Looking into the eyes of Envy, who he knew wasn't Ed (Ed would never have such incredibly vicious eyes), Roy coughed. "Finish it."

"With pleasure."

* * *

Roy's mind strayed in that split second, far, far back...it was like your life flashing before your eyes, only he could only remember that one moment in time.

Amidst a forest of pillars and smashed stone, with dust hanging around in the air, he could see Ed's figure crouched on the ground, and himself standing triumphant over the boy, fingers raised to snap.

"What are you waiting for?" Ed had asked, his voice the epitome of miffed. "Finish it."

"With pleasure..." Roy had said.

That had been their little fight for the information on Dr. Marco, and for Ed's annual checkup on his alchemical ability. Roy, looking back on it now, could remember that Ed had won that fight. Roy had had a lapse of memory, and Ed had taken the opportunity by the throat. Literally.

"Funny," Roy thought, "That I should remember that now." His face darkened as his eyes closed against the steel of the blade that would slit his throat and send him, hopefully, ahead of Ed. At least he'd be waiting for the chibi in Heaven, or Hell, or wherever they were to go.At least he would keep his word.

* * *

"That's enough."

Envy spun around, his eyes locking on the figure that had just entered the room, widening, and then his body shifting back into himself. His lips were a snarling beast's grin, his hands up like claws. "Hohenheim."

"Envy, what is going on here?" Hohenheim asked. His long golden-brown hair was tied in a long ponytail, and his brown trenchcoat only made him seem older then he already was. He squinted at Envy through his spectacles, taking in the look of the room, and was suddenly suprised to see Roy Mustang there as well. "Mustang?" he questioned. "Is that you?"

Envy's blood froze. The game was up. He was dead. Check and mate.

Sloth stepped out from behind Hohenheim casually, casting a disproving eye upon Envy, then upon the other homunculus that was still huddeled in the corner, watching all these events with curiousity. She offered a small smile to the cowering woman, an acknowledgement of her presence, and a kindly remark to show her that Sloth herself was quite amiable.

"Sir...Sir Hohenheim...Edward...he's..." Roy said, slowly, his eyes locking on the older alchemist, whom Roy had been good friends with once upon a time.

"Edward?" asked Hohenheim, looking over his glasses with suddenly cold eyes. "What happened to Edward?"

"He's...dying," Roy whispered.

Hohenheim froze for the duration of several seconds. Then, very slowly, he turned towards Envy. His eyes were so tiny that the word slits wouldn't do them justice. His mouth was so tight, it looked like someone had just drawn a line on his face in pencil for a mouth.

"I think I'll be going for now," Envy said, turning quickly to escape. But, just as he was about to get thropugh the entryway, five mirror images of him popped up around him, each one glowing a soft, misty-golden color.

"Not so fast," Hohenheim stated.

Envy's mouth clenched tight, and he drove a high kick towards one of the mirrored versions of himself. There was no way he was going to let himself be taken easily. The light faded as he connected with it, however, and reappeared just as he hit the ground. Before Envy could react, the light images grabbed him from five different directions, wrapping themselves around him like heavy chains, laughing viciously in his own voice.

"HEY! Hey, let go of me, you-" Envy kicked at one, but was held fast. His arms flailed, but it did no good.

"Take him to my room," Hohenheim instructed the light figures. "Detain him. I'll deal with him later."

In response, Envy was hauled off to the very far back of the tunnels, and, shortly, his cried faded from earshot. Then, once Hohenheim was satisfied that he had done his job, he turned back to Roy. "Take me to him, Flame Alchemist."

"Take me to my son."

**

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**_To Be Continued..._**


	45. Chapter 45:Finale

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning**__**

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**Chapter XLV: Finale**

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Roy knew something was wrong the very second that he entered the previous tunnel room. With Hohenheim close behind him, and Greed and Sloth bringing up the rear, Roy stopped full-tilt. His eyes cast across the room and landed upon the desolate sight of both havoc and Miss Rockbell sitting over Ed's unmoving body, sobbing ferociously.

The disturbing thing was that Havoc had hardly ever cried before.

"Jean!" Roy called, running over and sliding down on his knees next to his friend. "How's Ed?" he prodded softly.

Havoc, when he turned to look at Roy, seemed so full of sorrow that he might break right then. In his eyes was pure, humbled fear. He knew he had broken his promise, and he knew that Roy would hate him for it. Sheepishly, he managed to mouth the words, "He's...dead.."

Winry, in his lap, whose head was pushed against Jean's shirt, let out another long wail and a string of sobs. Havoc, to comfort her, wrapped his metallic arm tighter around her small frame, and lowered his head, nuzzling her lightly. Her head tilted up, and, with tears streaming down her cheeks, her mouth locked with his and he kissed her softly, but shortly, before pulling away and pulling her closer to him, whispering, "D-don't cry.."

Roy was devastated. He couldn't speak, could hardly cry. The weight of those words hit him, and it felt like his body had just been run through by a million swords. He wavered on his knees, and tipped to the side precariously. To steady him, Havoc leaned over a little so that now both Roy and Winry were rested against him, sobbing.

Roy's eyes locked on Ed's small form, and he reached out with one hand, taking Ed's in his own and squeezing it softly. Over and over, his voice whispered the word, "Ed...Ed..." Each repetition was more and more broken-hearted then the one before it, and with each one, more tears fell down his cheeks.

Hohenheim, the logical one, reached down and preformed the standard tests on Ed. He checked for breathing; there was none. He checked for a pulse; none. Then he felt several places on Ed's body: his hands, face, legs, stomach, before turning to Roy. His eyes seemed sorrowful, but lost. "His body hasn't lost all of its heat. If...If I had a Philosopher's Stone, we could save him. But, damned it all, Envy made off with my last one!" His fist slammed the ground hard.

Roy looked away. "So...so he's dead...?"

Hohenheim turned in the other direction. "There's nothing I can do. I'm sorry."

Several seconds passed in a silence that hung thick like a blanket in the air. Every now and then, Winry sniffled softly, or Havoc would give a soft shushing noise, but other then that, they all felt that everything was lost.

Except Greed.

Stepping forward, her eyes laid upon the FullMetal boy, she whispered, "Take mine."

Everyone looked up simultaneously, their eyes taking in the slender figure of Riza Hawkeye, who seemed to be regarding Edward as if she had made up her mind entirely about her decision. She seemed to have some thought in mind, but her eyes showed only indifference.

"Excuse me Miss, but who are you?" Hohenheim asked, wiping his glasses on a handkercheif and repositioning them.He looked up at her with interest.

"The homunculus that the last stone was used on. I think. Take mine, for him."

"Are you sure about this?" Hohenheim asked, his eyes firm. "You were just born, by my assumption. You're really ready to go after such a short time?" He stood, very slowly, to stare down at her.

She nodded, then looked directly at Roy and spoke: "That boy has more friends then I ever will in a whole lifetime. If he means...so much to them, and they mean so much to him...well," she smiled, a tiny, forlorn smile, "Well, I've never had a life. I don't have memories. I don't have friends. What good is a life if you have nothing to live for?"

Roy's eyes sparkled with tears, and he stood, almost in a trance-like state, staring directly at her. Everyone else fell silent and watched the exchange between the two, for they all felt the tension in the air, the feeling that this went deeper then any of them could tell.

"Thank you, Greed," whispered Roy. "You...you would have made a fine subordinate. And a fine friend."

Her hands moved over her heart, and she smiled a little more kindly. "Thank you, Roy Mustang. I might not be the girl that you were hoping I was...and I might have hurt you...I might not have the memories to match this face...but I...I'm glad that I met you."

He nodded.

"You have friends who are willing to give their lives for you. You must...you must not be so bad." Vibrating lightly, the stone, which was buried deep where her heart should have been, began to glow, casting a radiant red light that grew throughout her body. "That girl of yours," she said, quickly.

"Hm?"

"What was her name?"

"Hawkeye. Riza Hawkeye."

"Riza," replied the homunculus, her smile glimmering softly. Her golden locks hung about her body, and she shined like an angel in the small, dark cavern. Her body beginning to fade away, her voice became a soft whisper. "I'll give her your regards. And your love."

Roy moved a step forward, clasping the homunculus' fading hands in his own. "No. Give her regards, but not my love. Please, please assure my dear Hawkeye that...that I've found someone to live for...at last."

Riza had always stood by his side, and Roy had always harbored a more then work-safe affection for her, but she had always known it was false. Too bad he hadn't realized it until now. She had always told him that she would only guard his back, but that someone else would guard his heart. Well, now he had found that someone. It was Ed.

The homunculus nodded. "I swear to it. Please. Take good care of your friend."

"I will," Roy whispered, then watched as her body faded, and, in it's place, thousands of white feathers, glowing a deep, bright color that was as pure as light itself, filled the room.

And there, right before Roy Mustang, was the Philosopher's Stone.

Roy could only stare dumbly at it for several heartbeats. All this way, just for this stone. Reaching out for it, his hand encircling the tiny red stone, he said, with finality, "It's finally over." At his touch, almost as if the stone was agreeing, the feathers turned to red rose petals, swirling about the room on an imaginary wind, and filling the tunnels.

A single, sparkling tear rolled down Roy's cheek. He repeated, quietly, "It's over."

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"Brother! Brother, look!" Fletcher grabbed his older brother's bleeding hand, and the two stared up at the swirling rose petals that filled the grassy tunnel. Wrath, several feet from the two, just as bloody, paused and stared up at them as well.

Russel smiled. "They did it, Fletcher. They..they did it."

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**_The End?_**


	46. Chapter 46: Epilogue

_**"Toki Ni Ai"  
A fanfiction by Erin Lightning**__**

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**Chapter XLVI: Epilogue**

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"So...you're leaving me, FullMetal?" Roy asked, leaning against the train's side, his head tilted upwards so that his eyes met Ed's, who seemed an eternity away, sitting inside the great roaring train, about to disembark for places unknown.

* * *

It was three days after the incident with the homunculus, and things had begun to settle back into the ordinary. Russel and Fletcher had taken their leave after having their wounds cleaned up slightly.

Scar had, of course, mysteriously dissapeared after the whole ordeal. He was assuredly still alive, but just hiding where no one would find him.

Barry the Chopper was now Winry Rockbell's major "project". During the little fight with Lust, he had been entirely trashed, but not entirely destroyed. His seal still intact, he needed his body rebuilt from the ground up, and Winry had accepted this job, on the condition that Barry promised to stick around and help out at the automail shop, cutting up metal and the like.

Sheska and Havoc had both returned to Central City, of course, with havoc sporting a new automail arm to match the old. It was now a personal joke between him and Roy that he was going to end up a cyborg if this sort of limb loss continued at the rate it was going.

As for the homunculus, well, Gluttony, Lust, and the rest of them had retreated for now. Envy, however was never seen again. It was well-based rumor that he had, in fact, suffered the same fate as the first Greed had, but that was just the rumor. Roy figured it served him right: a proper end.

Hohenheim dropped off the map shortly after saving Edward, telling Roy that he wished for his discovery to be kept a secret. Roy, grateful, had agreed.

And, the rumors were true. Jean Havoc and Winry Rockbell were geting married. Roy was rather anxious to be Havoc's best man; he had never attended a wedding before.

* * *

"Of course," Ed replied. "What makes you think I'd want to hang around a lousy dustball like this? And, besides, Al's gonna totally freak out on me for leaving him with sensei for the past...how many months?"

Roy shrugged, smirking.

"How about you, Mustang. You know, you could come with me."

Roy smiled. "What? And forget my dream of becoming Fuhrer? I think I'm fine here, Ed. Bradley promised that if I was willing to forget his secret, then, well, he was willing to welcome me back. Admittedly, I miss the life of a State Alchemist."

Ed shook his head. "I dunno, being wrapped up on a chain your whole life? Doesn't it get dull?"

They both exchanged a soft, joking smile, and it was Roy who caught them on it first. "Careful, FullMetal, or they'll say your ego has grown soft. Or short."

"SHORT? WHO YOU CALLIN A LITTLE MIDGET-SIZED SNACK-SIZED SHRIMP?" Ed yelled, upsetting the other passengers.

Roy laughed, a deep, throaty, joyous laugh, but returned to being serious abruptly. "You'll come back, won't you, Edward?"

Ed nodded. "Of course. You've heard the old rumor, haven't you? If you love someone, let them go.."

Roy smiled back, "And they'll return to you." His face became firm again, and he whispered, "The stone didn't bring back your limbs, Ed. It might be acting as your heart, but.."

Ed's face grew dark. "You're asking if I'm going to go after the stones again."

Roy nodded. "Yes I am."

"I've lost a lot on this dream, Roy. I can't give it up now." At just that precise moment, the train's whistle blew, and the hulking object began to drive forward, slowly, slowly...

"Edward, be careful!" Roy cried, running after the train to keep up with Ed.

"You too Mustang!" Ed replied, sticking his head out the window.

Towards the end of the platform, Roy had to sprint to keep up. "I won't be there to save you if you get yourself killed again!"

"I know!"

Roy stopped as he reached the very end of the platform, and his voice was raised now, competing with the train. He hardly believed Ed would hear him, but, "EDWARD! I LOVE YOU!"

In response, Roy watched as the figure in the train stuck his head back out the window, raised his right hand, and saluted. A tear slid down Roy's face. It wasn't the end, after all. This was just...this was just the beginning.

* * *

Roy's mind returned to that last embrace they had shared in his apartment, the day after Edward had been saved.

Cradling the boy in his arms, reaching up to remove Ed's heavy jacket as Ed was detaching the long half-cape from Roy's belt, Roy's lips connected with Edward's soft skin, kisses covering every inch of the boy's neck. Ed blushed lightly, and, in this, his fingers fumbled so badly with Roy's outfit that Mustang had to reach down and help him.

It took a few minutes, but finally the two men had both managed, in a passion-filled haste, to undress one another. Roy pulled Edward backwards against his hips, and kisses began to cover the Elric boy's neck once more.

Ed sniffled softly.

"What's wrong, love?" Roy asked, resting his head back against the soft pillows of the now-well-furnished apartment's bed. He twirled a lock of the golden sunlight that was Ed's hair in his fingers.

"I remember..." Ed whispered, "...how we met."

Roy smiled, and, with a lover's passion, he took FullMetal right then and there.

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In the morning, awakening to Edward's clutching hands and the boy's velvety locks draped against Roy's smooth, naked flesh, Mustang's eyes wandered the light-filled room. From the plants to the books to the grave.

The small grave in the corner, that had been made in an ordinary flower pot, and which had a small rock as a tombstone. The rock itself was surrounded by red rose petals, straight from the homunculus tunnels.

And upon that rock were the word, "Greed".

Roy smiled. "Thank you Greed. And, thank you..."

"...Riza..."

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**_The End_**


	47. Chapter 0: Authors Note

**Toki Ni Ai  
The Resmastered Edition**

**_A Fanfiction By Erin Lightning_**

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**_Chapter 0: Author's Note_**

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_Toki ni ai: Sometimes Love Is._

Greetings to all of my reviewers and dare I call you my fans? Well, for an inexperienced writer, that's pretty bold. Maybe I'll just stick to calling you my friends for now. I guess you haven't gotten to know me too much since I began this story, now have you? I've tried not to put author's notes and take up story space with my own comments, saving all the introductions and whatnot until now. After all, I've seen many a good story ruined by someone leaving a great cliffhanger (Such as "And then the door opened...") and then putting, right below it, (OOC: OMG GUYS THE DOOR OPENED!! WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT??!!). At which point, I always end up thinking, "I know what happens next - I stop reading this story because you are rude, ma'am, for thinking I care about your idle thoughts in the middle of the Door of Truth opening."

Oops! Got off on a tangent! Gomensai!

Well, in any case. I guess it's finally time I revealed myself, eh? The name's Erin. Erin Lightning. At the time I first completed this, I was a fifteen-year-old girl from far-too-sunny Florida, and an avid otaku. Now, as many of you can tell from my profile, I'm a nineteen year old college student, still stuck in Florida, c'est la vie. But you all don't care about me. Let's move on.

Toki ni ai...hm...I've gotten a lot of emails asking where the idea came from for this story. To tell you the truth, I'm not quite sure. It wasn't influenced by books, movies, anime, or video games. It really just...sort of popped up "magically" one day. I was in homeroom, and the idea hit me like a speeding train and took off from the station right then and there. I'd be lying to you right now if I said I had any influence in the writing of this. I swear it must be divine intervention or something.

I'm a fan of Roy x Ed pairings. And fluff, though this did turn a little citrusy at the end (Hey, gotta give my friends what they ask for, right?). It seemed to fit. That and I needed a story angsty and freaky enough to scare people and make them question my sanity. A lot of people have mentioned that Roy x Ed is not one of my favorite pairings. This is correct. I am more of a Roy x Hughes, or Roy x Hawkeye. But the Roy x Ed is undoubtably there, and yes, sometimes the situation does call for it.

Three years after this work was completed, today being December 22nd, 2008, I remastered this work, just as I did with Yowai Yume Ai. I did not wish to compromise what came from my mind to the page, only to fix a few plotholes (if you followed the original work closely, for instance, you'll see that Havoc's metallic arm keeps switching sides of his body, for one...which is weird...and a complete screw-up whenever it happened, depending on how much sugar I had had that particular day), to tidy grammar and spelling, and to finally free new readers from the all-italics. I think the work flows even better now, and I am proud to say that, even today, with all my outside accomplishments, this is the work I am most proud of above all.

It's finished now. Finally finished. Revised, remastered, and done forever. I think I'll cry. I've had, actually, a lot of fun and a lot of headaches writing it and I'll sorely miss the exploits of Ed, Roy, Envy, and of course, my bishy Havoc. (Honest people, the Winry x Havoc pairing popped "magically" too. I...hate...Winry... -twitch-) Or I should say that. The real truth behind truths is that, after a massive uprising towards the open ending of Toki Ni Ai, I am proud to say that a **sequel** has been put into motion. Check it out if you're interested. It's called "**Yowai Yume Ai**", or "Love's Dark Dream". I look forward to continuing the journey with Roy Mustang and Edward Elric, and hope to see you on the other side as well.

So, yeah, this was my lame author's note. Be looking out for more of my FMA stories coming soon (You can check my author's profile for little sneak peeks) and, well, I just have to say it was a lot of fun working with you. I want to dedicate this story to every single person that read and reviewed. You don't know how much your criticism and devotion means to me. Thank you, truely.

Adieu.

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**_Disclaimer: FullMetal Alchemist belongs to Funimation, Hiromu Arakawa-sensei, and VIZ Manga. I just...extensively...borrowed it._**


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